Gretta Biography

1983 SELF PORTRAIT OF BRAZIL, MASP- Museu de Arte de São Paulo, Brazil.

1983 SELF PORTRAIT OF BRAZIL, MNBA - Museu Nacional de Belas Artes, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Some of the essays published for the book published on the occasion of Gretta's exhibition at the MUSEU DE ARTE DE SÃO PAULO (MASP) and the
MUSEU NACIONAL DE BELAS ARTES DO RIO DE JANEIRO (MNBA), exhibitions sponsored by the Brazilian goverment, Sao Paulo, Brazil:

....... "Mirror and photographs steal a man's soul. This primitive way of perceiving acquires a civilised antithesis in Gretta's work. She doesn't steal. She reveals, unveils, surprises and shows people's souls. She doesn't steal but conquers. Her work, like every true artist's work, goes beyond the reality of faces, gestures, skin, nerves, wrinkles, smiles and veins. She transforms the mass-produced image of man into something unique, typical and essential."
- essay written by José de Alcântara Machado, published in 1982 for the book SELF PORTAIT OF BRAZIL, São Paulo - Brazil. José de Alcântara Machado (19322)
was born in São Paulo, was the director of ALMAP, Alcântara Machado Periscinoto Comunicações Ltda., one of the largest advertising agencies in the country.

....... "An actor's profession lies in his ability to open his heart and show the deepest part of his personality thorough the characters he plays. Gretta Sarfaty seems to go beyond this, when she portrays us. She reveals a whole complex of all these personalities, but she also accomplishes something unheard of. That's me, here, but this unknown me reveals more of myself than any other experience of photography, cinema or television."
- essay written by Tonia Carrero, publishhed in 1982 for the book SELF PORTAIT OF BRAZIL, São Paulo - Brazil. Tonia Carrero was born in São Paulo, is a brilliant actress. In the theatre and TV Tonia encountered the best way to show her talent. "

....... "This CUMUNKA is for Gretta, a great artist. With admiration for her great art."
- essay written by Menotti Del Pichia, published in 1982 for the book SELF PORTAIT OF BRAZIL, São Paulo - Brazil. Menotti Del Pichia, born in Sãoo Paulo in 1892.
He was one of the main leaders of the first modernist movement during the Modern Art Week in 1922 ".

....... "Capturing in a single picture the whole personality of a 2000 - year - old actress is a task that only an artist like Gretta (she herself a work of art) can undertake 2"
- essay written by Marília Pera, published in 1982 for the book SELF PORTAIT OF BRAZIL, São Paulo - Brazil; Marília Pera: American critics elected best actress in 1981. She was born in Rio de Janeiro, Jan. 22, 1943.

....... "Yes, Gretta is a "paparazzi" without a flash. Her characters have come out strongly toned, with all the shades and secrets. Those who have been taken unaware by Gretta cannot expect a faded photograph or a lost negative. They will be history. Showing, in the future, the face of a country as it was in the eighties."
- essay written by Alex Periscinoto, published in 1982 for the book SELF PORTAIT OF BRAZIL, São Paulo - Brazil.Alex Periscinoto , politician and publicist. Creator, Art Director and Vice-President of Alcantara Machado & Periscinoto Comunicações. He was born in Mococa, São Paulo, on April 8, 1925.

....... "If you suffer unfair criticism, keep your conscience clear and leave others with their own thoughts and attitudes”. To Gretta with great affection and gratitude"
- essay written by Chico Xavier, published in 1982 for the book SELF PORTAIT OF BRAZIL, São Paulo - Brazil; Chico Xavier: a saint, a startling phenomenon, or a fertile field of research? He could be tentatively defined as the leader of ‘Spiritism' – the religion of the followers of Allen Kardec. He was born in Uberaba , February 27, 1982.

....... "Gretta , This is what comes to mind as I come back from the opening in Buenos Aires of “ They Do Not Wear Black-Ties, ” a film based on my first play with the same name; directed by Leon Hirszman – my old companion – a film maker who combines lucidity, harshness and kindness like nobody else can. I have just seen the empathy of the Argentineans for the everyday drama of Brazilian workers. We are all brothers, yes. Fellow sufferers, we share the same tiny pieces of bread living in times of war, without sunshine, but trying desperately to discover the sky beyond the rain. With the emotion caused by the reaction of these faraway audiences with the embraces and warm compliments of these foreign-language speaking brothers, I redeem the boy who wrote this play. I recall the shack where the relatives of my unforgettable margarida once lived, black mother to us all. We, the “ sinhozinhos ” of my generation. The insignificant shacks on chico ' s hill. The Sunday afternoons, after the delicious “ feijoada ” that we ate with our fingers, smeared with the mixture of rice, beans and “ farinha ” . My first “ cachaça. ” My girlfriend,
the two of us"
- essay written by Gianfrancesco Guarnieri, published in 1982 for the book SELF PORTAIT OF BRAZIL.

....... "I have been invited to participate in this documentary book, I accepted to be photographed and was promised insertion of a short message; “ just a few lines, a few paragraphs, ” Gretta said.
I probably accepted much more out of the atavistic instigation involved in this ‘ message, ' than out of the narcissism enkindled by an artist ' s portrait or by the pride that the tribute would engender. I am, after all, a ‘ maksoud, ' which in Arabic means ‘ the one that is looked for. ' Somebody who in ancient times used to be called on to counsel or to write messages to other people. So here is my short message (appropriate for present times and for this book about so many diverse personalities).
It is about the question of equality among men and the so-called ‘ social justice, ' so much referred to nowadays"
- essay written by Henry Maksoud, published published in 1982 for the book SELF PORTAIT OF BRAZIL. A businessman and an expert in political philosophy, born in Aquidauana, Mato Grosso do sul, in 1929. His two latest published books are: “ The Revolution That Has To Be Done ” (1980) and Essays on L iberty ” (1981).

....... "Gretta, it ' s difficult to write and to produce films; it ' s difficult to conquer a place in a market dominated by foreign multinational styles.
Here in Brazil , they don ' t let us believe that our vigorous mestizo culture is healthy and that our multicoloured face is beautiful. Models that do not suit us are imposed on us through the mass media, and so we accept the industrialized products an ideology of the colonizer. Thats why, my friend-because we are in the business of culture and represent this Brazilian/Latin, American reality – we have to stay “ in check ” to defend our culture, and to fight for a less submissive outlook, for a more creative expression, a more authentic expression. It ' s necessary to have courage, strength, push, endurance and above all, conviction. Ready to fight – Hope, lots of hope - Faith - Oxala"
- essay written by Tizuca Yamasaka published in 1982 for the book SELF PORTAIT OF BRAZIL. Tizuka Yamazaka, movie director. The greatest challenge for Brazilian cinematographers is to create a space to show their work. Tizuka Yamasaka was born in Porto Alegre , Rio Grande do Sul on March 2, 1949 , and is one of our most striking movie producers. She fights not only for her own work, but primarily for the appreciation of our culture, Brazilian Latin American, underdeveloped but authentic.