"Meu canto de morte, guerreiros, ouvi": tensions of colonialism and intermediality in Amélia (2000)

Abstract

This article analyzes Amélia (2000), feature film written and directed by Brazilian filmmaker Ana Carolina, aiming to understand the diegetic uses of arts such as I-Juca Pirama, a poem by Gonçalves Dias, and the theatre of Sarah Bernhardt. The investigation is based upon the propositions of intermediality, which investigates the intermedial configurations created with the superimposition of cinema and other arts, in order to demonstrate how poetry and theatre engender new layers of meaning in the filmic content and also indicate the coexistence of different historical temporalities, such as the colonization of Brazil and the beginning of the 21st century. Hence, this study intends to contribute to comprehend the history of Brazilian films directed by women filmmakers, emphasizing intermedial relations in the period known as the "Renaissance" of Brazilian cinema.