ABSTRACT

The rise of the Workers Party to power in Brazil roughly coincides with the end of what is referred to as the retomada or renaissance of Brazilian filmmaking, after the “obscurantist disaster” of Fernando Collor de Melo’s short-lived government, and the beginning of a new phase in filmmaking and support for the film industry. Film culture embraces the full range of films with which an audience engages, from Hollywood blockbusters viewed at the local multiplex to hastily produced short political “documentaries” uploaded onto YouTube. Film and the cinema frequently take a back seat in discussions about media and its influence in Brazil, which tend to focus on telenovelas and social media. If there is a strong tradition of cinephilia in Brazil in certain circles, Paulo Emílio Salles Gomes has a great deal to do with it. The chapter also presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in this book.