Images of the sacred in motion - Afro-Brazilian religions in national filmography

• Grant number: 23/04740-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: September 01, 2023
• End date: August 31, 2024
• Field of knowledge: Humanities - Anthropology - Anthropology of Afro-Brazilian Populations
• Principal Investigator: Vagner Gonçalves da Silva
• Grantee: Marcus Vinícius França Santos
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Filosofia, Letras e Ciências Humanas (FFLCH). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

This anthropological research project aims to interpret the representations of Afro-Brazilian religions (Candomblé, Umbanda and others) in national filmography (fiction and documentary films), considering the significant presence of elements or references of these religions in this art. For this purpose, the research proposes a survey of cinematographic works that somehow focused on the universe of Afro-Brazilian religions, analyzing recurrent themes, the sociocultural context of their production and their implications in terms of valuing (or not) Afro-Brazilian legacies. The period covered is from 1930 to 1980. The initial date refers to the first film productions about Afro-Brazilian religious manifestations, both in documentaries - such as those made by the Missão de Pesquisas Folclóricas (1938) - and in fictional films, such as the musical Banana da terra (1939). The final date is due to the fact that in another scientific initiation research sponsored by FAPESP the post-1980 period was approached.