The flower, the camera, the gunshot: lusophone African cinema in perspective

• Grant number: 10/00238-9
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research
• Start date: August 30, 2010
• End date: October 14, 2010
• Field of knowledge: Linguistics, Literature and Arts - Literature - Comparative Literature
• Principal Investigator: Fabiana Buitor Carelli
• Grantee: Fabiana Buitor Carelli
• Host Investigator: Fernando Arenas
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Filosofia, Letras e Ciências Humanas (FFLCH). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: University of Minnesota (U of M), United States

Abstract

The project "The flower, the camera, the gunshot: lusophone African cinema in perspective" aims to systematically analyze the cinema produced in the lusophone African countries as representation and interpretation of reality, considering the narrative aspects of the fiction film and the articulations between cinema and literature. The themes of this investigation can be defined as: 1.the study of the lusophone Africa (Angola, Mozambique, Guinea-Bissau, Cape Verde and Sao Tome and Principe) cinematic production (even in co-production with another country) during the 20th Century, especially after 1960, when the national independence movements began. This work focuses on cinematic fiction productions, and not on documentary; 2. the analysis of the films mentioned above, in a cinematic and also literary perspective; 3. the interpretation of these fiction films according to the postcolonial studies, e.g., as discourses and counter-discourses produced in a context of dialogue, negotiation and overcoming of hegemonic and counter-hegemonic frames. To proceed with the investigation, it will be necessary to carry out a comprehensive research of the lusophone African films produced after 1960 (privileging feature films); to systematize the results according to the country and the year of production; and to make a bibliographical research on the theoretical bases of this work (postcolonial theories). As a final purpose, this investigation project aims to provide the necessary information for academic presentations and for the elaboration of articles and a critical book with its most important conclusions. This is a pioneering study in Brazil. (AU)