Do imaginado ao real : imagem e representação do sertão no cinema nacional contemporâneo

Abstract

This paper analyzes how representations of the Northeastern Sertão influence the way people view the region, exploring the construction of this image over time. The research examines the impacts of the region's social and political transformations on cinematographic narratives, investigating how these changes shaped the representation of the Sertão in national cinema, discussing their implications for the cultural identity and public perception of the Sertão. Based on a qualitative analysis, we investigate films such as O Auto da Compadecida (2000), Cine Holliúdy (2012) and Bacurau (2019), in addition to the influence of the Cinema Novo movement and the so-called "aesthetics of hunger" in contemporary cinema. We also address the imagery of the sertão, historically marked by aridity, poverty and violence, contrasting this simplistic view with the social, cultural and political complexity of the region. As specific objectives, we seek to describe the representations of the sertão used in film productions, also to understand the relationship between the representations of the sertão and reality based on discussions about development and inequality, and to problematize the reproduction of stereotypes in the representations in the nominated films. We conclude that cinema is a crucial tool for shaping social perceptions, and that new narratives are needed that value the diversity and cultural richness of the sertão, far from the market biases that often reduce the complexity of the region to stereotypes.