O cinema da Filmes de Plástico: sampleando imagens, imaginando Contagem

Abstract

From a context of effervescence in the audiovisual scene—marked by the expansion of new technologies, the strengthening of public policies, and the proliferation of spaces for discussion and film circulation—Filmes de Plástico emerged, founded by directors André Novais Oliveira, Gabriel Martins, Maurílio Martins, and producer Thiago Macêdo Correia. With over ten years of experience, the production company has been gaining increasing prominence in contemporary Brazilian cinema, with a significant output of over 25 films. One of the fundamental aspects of its cinematography is the deep relationship its films establish with the territory—more specifically, the periphery of Contagem, a city where the Amazonas, Milanez, and Jardim Laguna neighborhoods are located, and where the directors grew up and have lived throughout their lives. Taking the feature film No Coração do Mundo (2019) as the guiding thread of this analysis, this research proposes a reflection on the intersections of spatial dimensions in the work developed by the production company. Since most of its films are made in the neighborhoods where the directors grew up or still live, the study examines not only the filmed space but also how these spaces are imagined and constructed through the cinematic language. Broadly speaking, we begin by analyzing the film from different perspectives of spatiality, ultimately arguing that the Contagem envisioned by Filmes de Plástico extends beyond its physical and geographical space, opening up new possibilities for approaching this territory and its cinematic representation.