Documentário e competências midiáticas: o papel das emoções na compreensão de Democracia em Vertigem

Abstract

Since its release in 2019, the documentary The Edge of Democracy has gained widespread attention. With its nomination for Best Documentary Feature at the 2019 Oscars, it became one of the most prominent works of the period. In its production, filmmaker Petra Costa aimed to capture the behind-the-scenes of Brazilian politics during the impeachment of Dilma Rousseff and the political rise of Jair Messias Bolsonaro. In the storyline, democracy plays the central figure, and for this reason, many other events connected to this ideal are also mentioned in the narrative – such as the construction of Brasília, the military dictatorship, the metalworkers' strike, and Lula’s government. In a personal and subjective manner, all these events intertwine with Petra's personal history, bringing to the screen her emotions and family ties. In this context, this study aims to analyze how the construction of the film took place, particularly focusing on its emotional aspect for the production of meaning and content apprehension. To this end, we utilize film analysis methodology in conjunction with the dimensions of aesthetics and language from media literacy as proposed by Ferrés and Piscitelli (2015). Through this lens, the study seeks to observe the manipulation of cinematic elements in the expression of aesthetics and language, thereby impacting the emotional dimension. Accordingly, the work aims to contribute to the field of communication studies by understanding the narrative construction process of one of the most turbulent moments in Brazilian politics, highlighting, therefore, the perspective of Media Literacy and the construction of collective memory.