The movie was infamously booed at the Venice Film Festival, where director Glauber Rocha screened the film out of competition. Its experimental, chaotic structure and political symbolism polarized audiences, leading to a storm of walkouts and protests. Rocha, unfazed, responded by declaring that the film was not meant for 'bourgeois critics' but for future generations. It was his final and most radical work before his death in 1981.
During the Venice Film Festival where A Idade da Terra (1980) premiered, director Glauber Rocha stirred significant controversy with his confrontational attitude and radical views. The most infamous incident involved French filmmaker Louis Malle, who reportedly took offense to Rocha's provocative behavior and statements during a heated press conference. According to witnesses, the tension escalated to the point that the two almost engaged in a physical duel in the hotel lobby, with Rocha challenging Malle in true dramatic fashion. Festival staff and fellow filmmakers had to intervene before things got out of hand. The incident has since become a legendary anecdote in film circles, cementing Rocha's reputation as a larger-than-life figure both on and off screen.
Final acting role of Danuza Leão.