This project analyzes three documentaries that explore the inherent tensions and difficulties in building a sense of community in three different settings in Rio de Janeiro. The documentaries Boca de Lixo (1993), Santo forte (1999), and Edifí­cio Master (2002) by Eduardo Coutinho present an in-depth look at the tensions inherent in developing communal identity based on vocation in Boca de Lixo, religion in Santo forte, and location in Edifício Master. Through these documentaries, Eduardo Coutinho presents the difficulties faced by different groups of people in Brazil as they explore the development of a sense of community. Boca de Lixo endeavors to understand the tension between using a sense of community to bolster one's self-respect and personal pride in the face of perceived outsider contempt. Santo forte addresses the problems associated with establishing a sense of community in a favela that contains various different religious traditions, each vying for more members at the cost of the others. Edifí­cio Master focuses on the difficulties of developing a sense of community within an apartment building in Copacabana, and in this film Coutinho explores the power of storytelling as an alternative method for creating communal identity. Together these three films examine the resiliency of the human spirit while challenging various forms of prejudice and stereotypes within Brazilian culture.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-25T19:20:31Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Nathalie de Almeida Hornhardt.pdf: 3742162 bytes, checksum: 770e8d5914c5194f7e9edddad99813eb (MD5) Previous issue date: 2014-08-08 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / This study aims to investigate, based on characters testimony s from the documentary Santo Forte, directed by Eduardo Coutinho, the pursuit of individual happiness and the fulfillment of human insufficiency by their religious beliefs and experiences. Taking into account this purpose, the idea is to highlight, considering the term devised by Blaise Pascal and conceptualized by Luiz Felipe Pondé - human insufficiency - that men/people need and are dependent on the supernatural world, precisely to fill the void which is inherent and that haunts them. In view of their mystical experiences and religious trajectory, the film's characters show a greater acceptance to their lives, due to the communication that they have with the sacred. In other words, it is clear that the relationship which men have with gods and entities gives them hope in the face of their endless reserve/tendency to suffering. This research also focuses to make considerations about the men s dependence towards the supernatural, which is necessary to ensure perpetual and rational pursuit of individuals with regard to happiness and well-being. This is noticeable from the emphasis on utilitarianism - principle developed by Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill that indicates a natural man s search towards happiness and for annulment of misery and pain / Este estudo pretende investigar, a partir dos depoimentos dos personagens do documentário Santo Forte, de Eduardo Coutinho, a busca dos indivíduos pela felicidade e pelo preenchimento da insuficiência humana, por meio de suas crenças e experiências religiosas. Nesse sentido, visa evidenciar, com base no termo cunhado por Blaise Pascal e conceitualizado por Luiz Felipe Pondé - insuficiência humana - que o homem necessita e é dependente do mundo sobrenatural, justamente, para preencher o vazio ao qual é inerente e que tanto o assola. Por meio de experiências místicas e de sua trajetória religiosa os personagens do filme evidenciam uma aceitação maior de suas vidas em razão da comunicação que dispõem com o sagrado. Em outras palavras, é notório que essa relação dos homens com deuses e entidades lhes garante esperança diante de sua reserva infinita de sofrimento. Esta pesquisa visa igualmente traçar considerações acerca da dependência dos homens em relação ao sobrenatural, que se faz necessária para assegurar a busca perpétua e racional dos indivíduos pela felicidade e bem-estar. Isso fica evidente pela ótica do utilitarismo - princípio desenvolvido por Jeremy Bentham e John Stuart Mill - que aponta uma procura imanente ao homem pela felicidade e pela anulação de dores e sofrimentos