Getulio (Getúlio)

"Getulio" (2014)

Only a life's sacrifice

can mend the error of a failure.

It has been 24 years since I wrote this in my diary,

right before taking the train from Porto Alegre

to Rio de Janeiro.

My goal was to be president of the Republic.

It was a long journey.

15 years as president.

I started as the leader of a revolution,

bent on changing Brazil.

I was soon faced with two counter-revolutions.

More than 1000 dead. 7000 opposition members arrested.

Many were tortured.

I was a dictator.

I faced everything head on, and I don't regret any of it.

Censoring the media, overpowering the Congress.

Canceling presidential elections.

I always ruled for the people.

And I felt loved by them.

I sanctioned Labor Laws,

minimum wages, paid vacations.

I was deposed by the military, yes.

The same that supported me before.

I lived 5 years of exile and solitude,

and then I came back.

I came back, now through direct elections

to be Brazil's president again.

I defeated Brigadier Eduardo Gomes, leader of the Air Force.

The opposition tried to knock me down with an impeachment,

but they weren't successful.

I sanctioned, through Congress, the State's petrol control.

Petrobras.

During the last months of my life,

my government was seriously accused of corruption.

Seriously.

The Army and the Air Force were unsatisfied,

they wanted power, it was an election year...

Every day,

Carlos Lacerda, the journalist, would slander me

and my family.

I was his number one enemy.

Inspired by a true story

CATETE PALACE RIO, AUGUST 5th, 1954

- Dad, dad! Careful! - Stay here!

Let's go! Go, go, go!

An attempt?

I'd like to talk to General Caiado right now. Go get him.

There's only one man responsible for this crime.

The protector of thieves,

whose impunity gives him the audacity for such acts.

This man has a name and an address:

Getulio Vargas, who is sitting on the presidential chair.

Was the major on Air Force duty, or was he your bodyguard?

Mr. Lacerda, do you usually carry a gun?

The murdered major was only 32 years old.

He left his widow and 4 children in a deep sadness.

By the honor of the Air Force,

this crime will not go unpunished.

Was the target really the major or Lacerda, the journalist?

Brigadier Gomes, what will the Air Force do about this?

Daddy, the elections for representatives is in 3 months.

Lacerda, by playing the victim, is already elected.

This is a farce. Nobody applies a cast on a bullet wound.

Father, I'm a doctor.

If a .45 caliber bullet had hit Lacerda's foot,

- he'd have to amputate it. - He was armed.

The police wanted to get the gun and he refused to give it.

Even the commissioner implied he may have accidentally

shot the major, or even his own foot.

I heard he got furious.

At least the head of police is doing his job.

He only told me to wait in the taxi,

and then the gunshots started, everywhere.

The guy got in and told me to hit it.

I was confused, scared.

And where is your usual taxi spot?

Silveira Martins Street, in the Catete region.

The driver works right next to the Palace?

Yes, sir. He was fired at

by the guard who was chasing the criminal.

The driver denies being involved.

But the commissioner is skeptical.

Have you called me, dr. Getulio?

You obviously heard someone murdered

Major Rubens Vaz, from the Air Force.

The weapon used is of the same caliber

as those from my personal guard.

- Isn't that right, Gregorio? - It is, sir.

Is anyone from the guard involved in this crime?

Absolutely not, dr. Getulio.

I run the entire guard, and I don't believe I was betrayed.

None of them would do anything without asking me first.

- Corrupt president... - Shall I disperse them?

I want to know who's behind this crime.

Have you lost your trust in me, dr. Getulio?

The shot fired at Lacerda's foot hit my government in the back.

You may go, Gregorio.

Does my brother know you came after me?

No, he doesn't.

Dr. Benjamin...

Lacerda couldn't keep treating the president like a criminal.

That's not right.

I'll tell you one thing:

Who do you confess to, your father or your priest?

Don't reveal this secret of mine to anyone.

Oh, daddy...

It's unbelievable that, at your age,

you still haven't learned something that simple.

You lack some manners.

Good...

Have you heard what happened?

Gregorio told me during the trip.

- What trip, brother? - I came from Petropolis.

Didn't you ask him to go get me?

I asked someone else, not Gregorio.

But it was Gregorio who caught up with me.

A name of a man from my guard came up.

Climerio. Do you know him?

Yes, Gregorio told me this guy worked under me in 1932.

A very dedicated man, but I don't remember him.

You helped pick the members of the guard.

Shouldn't you know who he is?

It's practically impossible

that Gregorio isn't in the middle of this.

Yes. I am of the same opinion.

Climerio Euribes de Almeida. Investigator 763.

A personal guard of the president of the Republic.

Placed here, in Catete Palace.

This man was reported by the taxi driver

as part of the assassination.

Gregorio, what was a president's personal guard doing

in Toneleiro Street, in front of Carlos Lacerda's house?

This Climerio guy is not in my trust.

If he isn't in your trust,

how can he be in the guard you command?

General, I'd never do anything that could harm the president.

Gregorio, call this Climerio right now

and order him to come immediately to the Palace.

- Good evening, General Zenobio. - For whom, Gregorio?

One moment, please.

Dr. Getulio, Climerio's not home.

And Gregorio doesn't know where he is.

- How come? - Mr. President,

Gregorio contradicted himself on the talk we had.

At first, he stated he had no relations with Climerio.

Afterwards, we discovered

that Gregorio is godfather to Climerio's son.

Major.

Major, tell Gregorio he is forbidden

of leaving the Palace.

- Now, go. - Mr. President,

the dead major's colleagues are blaming you. They started to...

Have you lost control of the situation, Minister?

NERO MOURA AIR FORCE MINISTER If I was there, that would be easily dealt with.

General, it's not a matter of command.

It's a matter of choosing a strategy to calm them down.

GEN. ZENOBIO DA COSTA WAR MINISTER Mr. president, maybe the Army should arrest some of them,

to show them we're handling the situation.

Easy. It's the criminals who should be arrested.

Even if a guard member is involved,

it is necessary to make it completely clear

that the government has nothing to do with this.

- Boss, we should do something. - My daughter...

GEN. CAIADO DE CASTRO CHIEF OF MILITARY CABINET General, dismiss the entire guard immediately.

TANCREDO NEVES MINISTER OF JUSTICE But dismissing the guard may seem like a confirmation of guilt.

That's not important.

And I allow the arrest of anyone in this Palace.

Gregorio's order is for you to disappear.

I just want to know if I'm arrested or not.

Was it dr. Getulio's orders?

Did you talk to him about it?

I can't. I'm not a whistleblower

and I don't want to increase my brother's suffering.

You're the one who should tell him.

I have nothing to say.

I don't know what to say.

Thank you.

Mr. Getulio Vargas is no longer

legitimate authority,

ever since it's been known that his people

may be the authors of the assassination attempt.

Getulio Vargas is now deposed.

Vargas is now morally deposed, by his own actions.

President, I wholeheartedly make you this immense appeal:

Leave the command,

if you still want to earn respect as a human creature,

since you've lost the right

to be accepted as head of government!

Isn't your mother coming to dinner? Thank you.

She's having dinner in bed, she's exhausted from the wake.

I didn't know your mother-in-law was that ill.

- And your husband? - It's very hard for him.

Mrs. Alice's death, on one hand, was a relief,

she had been very ill for a while.

It left a big impression on the girls.

Their new habit is to make questions about death.

"Where do we go when we die?"

"What do we do there?" Can you imagine...

"Will you be there when we die?"