Saturday, 19 October 2013, 1.00-5.00pm, Birkbeck Cinema, 41 Gordon Square, WC1H 0PD

São Paulo is the largest city in South America and the powerhouse of Brazil’s economy. A multi-racial metropolis with a diverse population of Asian, Arabic, and European immigrants as well as migrants from other parts of Brazil, it is a global city with international reach. Films set in São Paulo often replace the postcard images of beautiful tropical beaches and laidback lifestyles with working environments and the search for better opportunities. Bikinis and flip flops give way to urban subcultures, sport, entertainment, and artistic movements. The first comprehensive guide to filmic representations of São Paulo, World Film Locations: São Paulo (London: Intellect, 2013), edited by Natália Pinazza and Louis Bayman, serves as an introduction to the city for film enthusiasts, visitors, and tourists while simultaneously opening scholarly debates on global concerns such as marginalization, rapid urbanization, and child poverty.

Programme

1.00pm  Editor’s Remarks and Introduction of the World Film Locations Series and the Volume

1.15pm Talks

  • Transnational Minhocão: The Emblematic Highway – Dr Natália Pinazza (Birkbeck University of London)
  • The Geography of Segregation: Violence and Class Division in Contemporary São Paulo Cinema – Dr Tiago de Luca (University of Liverpool)
  • Gender and Sexuality in Cinematic Representations of São Paulo – Dr Antônio M. da Silva (University of Kent)

2.20pm Refreshments

2.40pm Screening: O ano em que meus pais saíram de férias / The Year My Parents Went on Vacation (Cao Hamburger, 2006, 110 min)

4.30pm Roundtable and Q&A