Cinema and History: an educational proposal

Interview with Silvio Tendler

Abstract

Interview with filmmaker, professor and historian Silvio Tendler that took place in the city of Rio Janeiro, in November 2019. The conversation started from the problematization between cinema and history and the filmmaker's experiences in the creation of his films.  The meeting also provided an opportunity to experience the process of preparing and editing the autobiographical film Nas asas da Pan Am (2020). The presence of aesthetic elements that guide the narrative of biopics towards the reconstruction of narratives historically driven by a zealous look at the stories of the past and the transposition in filmic exposition is recurrent in Tendler's films. The factual records of the history of many Brazilian characters are rescued from the filmmaker's memories and archival documents, which configure the representation of himself and other stories, creating memories and realities experienced throughout his career. The interview guides the reader to reflect under which narratives cinema can act as a broad cultural formation and with the capacity to elaborate the past in the representation of everyday life, based on Tendler's counter-hegemonic look at current events.