As published on CLAUDIA

Flávia Lins e Silva has always been a reference. At the beginning of my career in journalism, I already knew how she launched herself as a screenwriter, wrote books, and became one of the most respected writers in the country, recognized for her talent for creating magical and exciting worlds. Her focus has always been on children’s and young adult literature, where she includes universal issues in an accessible and profound way. Thanks to her, my niece had fun with already iconic characters like the Detetives do Prédio Azul.

Long before them, there was the intelligent Pilar, a curious and adventurous girl who loves to discover myths around the world, always defending nature, animals, and people. Her books have been translated around the world since the early 2000s, and who is now in theaters in a Brazilian production by Conspiração, co-produced by Disney’s Star Original Productions. The film also has the support of RioFilme and sponsorship from Mercado Livre. While working on new books, and with a time zone against us (Flavia is living in Portugal), the writer stopped to have a long, exclusive chat with CLAUDIA about the film, about Ecology, and the world of characters that never stop coming out of her super creative head.

CLAUDIA: We definitely crossed paths in those hallways at Globo, back in the early days, and I’ve always been with you. You were one of the first to leave journalism to write scripts, books, and soap operas. How was that transition?
FLAVIA: Did you know that I did an internship at Abril before Globo? In that course we took in college? I was accepted, and they told me, I have no doubt that you are a journalist, but I’m going to prove to you that I liked your writing. [laughs] I’ve always had this flirtation with fiction. There’s the journalistic side, but I love research, and I love inventing even more. In the sense of creating, of inventing new worlds, characters.

CLAUDIA: And how did you define the focus on the younger audience? Right? The first work I did for Globo was Caça Talentos, right?
FLAVIA: Because you have a huge space for fantasy. I really like this fantasy world. So, I soon started to create my own texts, also write short stories, and write other things, but always very fantasy-based. If I look at my favorite writers, they are more fantasy-oriented, more creative, in the sense of letting their fantasy run wild. In parallel with Globo, I also started to write my children’s books. I joined Globo around 1996 and published the first Pilar in 2001.

CLAUDIA: It seems like you have a lot of Flávia in Pilar, doesn’t it?
FLAVIA: I think she’s better than I. [laughs] Courageous, forward, likes to travel, which is what I have, this “geographical gluttony”. Pilar gets a magic hammock from her grandfather that allows her to take a thousand trips around the world. The hammock goes somewhere on the planet. We discover mythologies, and in addition to the culture, in addition to everything else she will discover, she goes on an adventure in this other place. She is always accompanied by Breno, who is more down-to-earth, more scientific, and so on. And by the cat Samba. So the three of them are always on this journey together, each with their own characteristics. They all have this thirst for knowledge, for learning, for knowledge. But Pilar goes without thinking much and sometimes gets into trouble. [laughs]

CLAUDIA: And Pilar was born from books, left the pages, went to the theater, went to the stage, went to animation, is now arriving in the cinema… A long journey through several platforms and for almost 25 years! What is each version like?
FLAVIA: In the theater, I always give her total freedom, so that they can create something from scratch. That freedom really has to be there. In animation, no. With animation, I worked with audiovisual in mind, which is my thing. I put together a team, created little journeys for Pilar. Each of her journeys is a myth that she gets to know. I love the animated series; it was beautiful, wonderful. Made by the Mono Animation team, very carefully. And now, it’s coming to the cinema! I joke that I feel like Gepetto from Pinocchio: when the character comes to life, when Pinocchio comes to life, the people there come to life.

CLAUDIA: What was it like to meet Pilar in the flesh?
FLAVIA: Pure emotion! I thought she [the actress Lina Flor] looked so much like Pilar, so lively, so full of life, right? And ready for these adventures, and ready to go to the Amazon, right? So, it was a huge thrill. And I think she really has these talents, this girl.

CLAUDIA: You’re living in Portugal, but were you able to watch any part of the filming?
FLAVIA: I met Lina after she had done all the tests, and then I went to see the locations, because for me, that’s very important when adapting the script. We went together to Belém to see the location, and Alter do Chão is also very beautiful. I completely trust this one and the Team. I’m very happy.

CLAUDIA: When you do the research, because, as you said, it’s a good opportunity to educate children, especially this whole issue of the Amazon that will be in the film. I’d like you to tell us a little bit about the story and how you do the research, and how you choose how to put these messages in the stories?

FLAVIA: The first time I went to the Amazon, I wrote a book called Mururu no Amazonas, which is more of a juvenile book, almost for adults. And it’s currently published by Editora Globo, with illustrations by Roger Mello. A special book for me. So when I wanted to write the first Pilar na Amazônia, I said, now I’m going to take another trip, because the first one I went up the Rio Negro. So I decided to go down. The Amazon River, in a cage boat, all inside the net. I went down and went to Santarém, from there, to Alter do chão, and I was completely enchanted. I recommend that if you want to do your first big trip to the Amazon with your children, go to Alter do Chão, which is amazing. So, I started, I wrote Pilar’s Diary on Amazon, long after this research that I did, when I went down especially to write this book about Pilar on Amazon. And after I returned to the Amazon, with this tragedy happening, incessant deforestation, I don’t know where it will end. Now, for the location research, we found several lumber mills, you know, we showed rafts of boats, you know, passing by and carrying 600, 1,000 trunks. This is not sustainable. In fact, I’m very tired of this word sustainable because it is not sustainable. What is happening is completely unsustainable. These trees take 300, 500, 1,000 years to grow. We can’t deforest anymore. And I think that children are very engaged with this ecological issue; they are very concerned. They want to talk about it, they need to talk and get it out there, and talk about it in a group. And I think they are the spokespeople for this change that needs to happen. It’s no longer about saying, oh, it’s manageable, it’s sustainable. No, we have to talk. I know we’re going to have to be very firm and talk, and bring a new way of looking at this forest, like someone looking at a monument. We’re not going to take a piece of the Egyptian pyramid, right? We need a piece of the Amazon. It’s over. It’s over. For here. There has to be more legalized wood. There has to be more thread in the legalized wood. That’s what we’re talking about. Now, in the story, they [Pilar and friends] are facing a gang that is killing each other illegally, and so on. And they are great heroes, right? And there are thousands of gangs arriving illegally outside the Amazon, right? We know that. And if Amazon ends, I don’t know, what will happen to the world? It’s really serious…

CLAUDIA: And Marcelo Adnet will play the role of the villain…
FLAVIA: With humor too, very well done. I filmed it to scare people, but of course, it brings up this conversation, right? About “come here, do you know the Amazon? Don’t you? What’s it like? Let’s open our eyes to it, defend this monument of ours that is so important. Our lives depend on this water, this oxygen, on all of this”.

CLAUDIA: And the local folklore there? What surprised you at the time? What do you think the children will feel?
FLAVIA: When you get to Alter do chão, there’s always a storyteller. I’ve heard so many stories! “My uncle went to the forest, cut down a tree to make a table. And at night, a roof started shaking in his house. It was the curupira, wanting him to return it to the forest”. So, you hear stories and tales like that, from people who experience it very closely. It’s very powerful, very beautiful to hear. And with great respect for nature, those around there have this immense respect. Anyway, this research was very enriching. Now I’m going back, now I’m already researching another story.

CLAUDIA: I was going to end by asking this, but first, what was the response like from outside Brazil, especially to the book about the Amazon and Pilar?
FLAVIA: All of Latin America is very interested in Pilar. It’s impressive, but Amazon is Latin American, right? From Colombia, from Peru, it’s not just Brazilian, right? So, I think it’s a subject that’s very important to everyone. I think ecology is a subject that should be at the top of everyone’s agenda because it’s a question of survival, of awareness, of changing habits. We have to talk about it.

CLAUDIA: In the animation, the soundtrack for the series featured names like Carlinhos Brown. Any ideas for the film?
FLAVIA: We still don’t know who’s going to do the soundtrack for the film, but the series was a luxury, right? Carlinhos Brown, Arnaldo Antunes, Lenine… my God!

CLAUDIA: Pilar was your “firstborn”, right? She came before Paloma, your real daughter. Did your view of Pilar change after Paloma?
FLAVIA: I don’t think so. I started writing more stories after Paloma was born, which really made me want to write more and more. So, now Pilar will be released in Mexico in May, just waiting for the illustrations, which will definitely be beautiful, by Joana Pena. I think it will be ready for the Rio Biennial.

CLAUDIA: And you mentioned that you are working on research for your next book, and if the one about Mexico is already ready, where will it be?
FLAVIA: I am working on other stories, I have already sent them to the publisher, also related to ecology. They will be really cool books, too. I am very excited. My mind is spinning! [laughs].

CLAUDIA: And the film is scheduled for January 2026…
FLAVIA: Pilar will release it on January 15, 2026, but in July, they will release Detetives do Prédio Azul 4, which they have also already filmed. I think it will be a good year for children’s cinema!