Maioria Absoluta (L. Hirszman, 1964) and a Opinião Pública (A. Jabor, 1967): a historical analysis of the social-political documentary forward to the debates of the left in Brazil

Abstract

The research aims to analyse historically the documentaries Maioria Absoluta (L. Hirszman, 1964) e A Opinião Pública (A. Jabor, 1967), specially, learn to what extent these films interact with the projects of the left and with it's review after the 1964 coup, whereas in the relationship between them we can glimpse a political pedagogy interested in teaching the middle class to see the people and the immediate need to identify the agent of the defeat. Thus we will discuss the concepts, projects and the process of realization of films, considering the political engagement of the filmmakers in the period, the projects of CPC and its links with cinema novo. Through film analysis, we intend to address the role of narration, the voices acting, the redefinition of certain images (considering there are excerpts from Maioria Absoluta in A Opinião Pública) as well as the ambiguities and tensions inherent in the prevailing discourses in these documentaries. Issues such as the pursuit of brazilianness, the national-popular and conceptions of people and middle class, groups contemplated alternately as subject matter and target audience of these works, will also be focused on research. Both movies attended the film festival circuit aimed at Latin American cinema and, from this perspective, we are interested in perceiving their movement and possible links with the Nuevo Cine Latinoamericano. It will also be objective of the research to assess the status of the documentary in this period, in Brazil, understood as an instrument of social and political action, place of resistance groups constrained by the implementation of the new regime; political discourse on movies made by and for the middle class, as well as reflect on theoretical and methodological issues inherent to the relationship between history and film. (AU)