Cinema in a Time of Barbarism: Brazilian Black Cinema and the Surveillance of the Military Dictatorship, 1964–88

This paper connects three hitherto under-explored topics about Brazilian films: black cinema activism, the impact of the ideology of racial democracy, and black cinema during the military dictatorship (1964-1985). Artistic expressions such as film, theater, music, and television have been auspicious for reflecting on ethno-racial issues in Brazil. Through them, it is possible to see how black artists, filmmakers, and producers overcame an irrelevant and often caricatured role predetermined for them under the logic of structural racism. Moreover, artistic fields have been and continue to be a universe where black people may, at times, confront the racist structures in their dimensions: aesthetic, political, ontological, and gendered. At the same time, artistic representations are central to national projects; since, through art expressions, nation builders are able to shape key elements of such a society. Additionally, states and private entities have the influence to promote or censor artistic productions according to their expectations. Similarly, Black cinema, the artistic domain I discuss in this paper, is the terrain where black activism could not only confront fundamental issues afflicting the black community but also pursue alliances to strengthen the struggles against Brazilian racism. My presentation reveals an intricate relationship involving actors, actresses, filmmakers, movie companies, state cultural projects, and facets of Afro-Brazilian activism over the Brazilian dictatorship.