A Century of Brazilian Documentary Film

Darlene Sadlier weaves rich descriptions of films with production histories and the histories of distribution, exhibition, and reception against the backdrop of shifting political and economic circumstances in Brazil. This will be an important reference for students and educators who may be unfamiliar with Brazil and documentary filmmaking.



 

— Leslie L. Marsh, author of Branding Brazil: Transforming Citizenship on Screen

This book represents a major contribution to the English-language literature on both Brazilian cinema and the history of documentary.  While a handful of the films discussed here have been analyzed in existing English-language studies, the majority have not, and this publication therefore significantly broadens and deepens the understanding of one of South America’s most important national film traditions as well as that of nonfiction cinema internationally.

— Jesse Lerner, author of The Maya of Modernism: Art, Architecture, and Film

Monumental...The future of documentary production in Brazil is uncertain as is the nature of the current political process. Nonetheless, Sadlier’s book offers valuable insight into better understanding the history and inextricability of both.

— NACLA

With this volume, Sadlier...fills a gap in English-language scholarship on film by providing a clearly organized historical survey of documentary filmmaking in Brazil over the last hundred years...Sadlier’s prose is eminently readable, and the scholarly apparatus is robust…Highly recommended.

— CHOICE

Sadlier has a remarkable ability to synopsize and contextualize films . . . Engrossing from beginning to end, A Century of Brazilian Documentary Film belongs on the bookshelf (or in the digital files) of anyone interested in Latin America's geography, history, politics, sociology, and popular culture.

— Journal of Latin American Geography