Religion and Cinema as Subversive Memories: A Possible Relationship in the Brazilian Context

Abstract

Brazil has been defined as a country without memory. On the other hand, Brazilian cinematography is rich in dealing with the theme of memory. In this scenario, Brazilians gather weekly in religious services to celebrate the memory of the Easter of Christ in the Eucharist, to remember the deeds of God in time and space, and to celebrate the memory of the Gospel embodied in the culture and memory of the Brazilian people. This article intends, therefore, to establish a relation between the lack of critical and political memories and the memory present in the narratives of Brazilian films as spaces of resistance, and the religious and subversive memory in the Christian liturgy. The methodology adopted will be, firstly, descriptive and analytical, focusing on the facts of the Brazilian reality. Secondly, memory and liturgical memory will be treated in the liturgy, ascertaining the role of this paschal memory not only as an exercise of memory, but also as a subverting and political memory in the past, present, and future. Here, relations between liturgy and Brazilian cinema will be established.

Keywords

• memory
• religion
• liturgy
• cinema
• Brazil