Producers from the northeastern state of Sergipe to put on an exhibit of Black Cinema

Note from BW of Brazil: It’s not often that we receive news from northeastern state of Sergipe from the racial perspective so when we get this sort of update we like to pass along the information. As film and black representation are regular topics on this blog, today’s feature fits right into these topics. As we’ve seen in numerous previous posts, Afro-Brazilians actors, actresses, directors and themes are sorely lacking in the Brazilian film industry and to fill this gap, a number 0f up and coming black directors (many of whom are black women) are leading the way in presenting the silent majority in the world of cinema in ways that mainstream media shows itself incapable and unwilling to do. 

Producers from the northeastern state of Sergipe to put on an exhibit of Black Cinema

“We need to break the barriers imposed by the Hollywoodian market model and insert black cinema into the main commercial rooms of Brazil.” Engaging this kind of thinking, producers and Sergipeano (natives of the state of Sergipe) filmmakers are working for the first time, on the 1º Mostra de Cinema Negro de Sergipe – Egbé (1st Showing of Black Film of Sergipe – Egbé). Dated to take place between April 6^th and 9^th, the showing of about black youth, women and Afro-Brazilian ancestry aims to promote reflection and debate on the little space that this type of production has in the main scripts of cinematographic exhibitions of the world.

Courtesy of Infonet

Organized by Cineclube Candeeiro in partnership with the NGO Cacimba of Cinema and Video, the show has in front names like producer João Brazil and filmmaker and producer Luciana Correia. For her, the audiovisual productions of the occasion bring content demanded for decades in activism of social, religious and women’s groups movements and are, in her view, the main “weapon” in overcoming prejudices in the film market.

“This kind of production has much more social representation of what we are used to seeing; films dealing with the empowerment of black women, breaking stereotypes, fighting against racism, sexism and debating about genocide, in addition to the ascension of black youths from the suburbs. This type of production can’t stay in the drawer, it needs to have a broad exhibition,” Luciana realizes.

And one of the shorts with major prominence for the event is O corpo é meu (The body is mine),by Luciana herself. The production, according to the filmmaker, with the collaboration of various friends from the audiovisual course of the Federal University of Sergipe (UFS) and crowned with an award, honorable and special mention in Venezuela, in a feminist film festival.

According to the organization, Mostra will be divided into three themes: Cinema, gênero e raça – o empoderamento da mulher negra (Cinema, gender and race – the empowerment of black women); Cinema e juventude negra – acesso dos jovens das periferias às universidades e reflexão sobre genocídio (Cinema and black youth – access of young people from the suburbs to the universities and reflection on genocide); and Cinema, religiosidade e ancestralidade afro-brasileira – intolerância religiosa contra fiéis do candomblé e umbanda (Cinema, religiosity and Afro-Brazilian ancestry – religious intolerance against believers of Candomblé and Umbanda). The exhibitions will take place in the Aracaju Cultural Center and at the downtown headquarters of SESC in the Siqueira Campos district and the city of Nossa Senhora do Socorro. The complete schedule and event details can be followed on the Egbé fanpage.

Source: Infonet