Filmmakers’ Presence in Documentary Films: Representation and Transmission of Memory

This thesis explores the filmmakers’ presence in documentary films that address controversial political events and their contribution in the transmission of collective memory. The study proposes to research why and in which ways filmmakers use documentaries to talk about the country’s contested past. Two documentaries about the Portuguese dictatorship were selected to examine the influences of the author in the representation of this controversial period. The content of the documentaries was analysed with a qualitative method, using three distinct models of analysis, regarding the image (Aumont, 2005; Goliot-Lété & Vanoye, 2012; Jullier, 2013), the narrative (Chatman, 1978; Aumont & Marie, 2004) and the themes (Opler, 1945; Bernard & Ryan, 2003). Additionally, in-depth semi-structured interviews with the documentaries’ filmmakers, Inês de Medeiros and Susana de Sousa Dias, were conducted to obtain their perspective on the choices they made and the importance of their artistic preferences, political views and biographical experiences in the construction of documentaries. The results present the filmmakers’ motivations, decisions, opportunities and constraints in the process of filmmaking, which influenced the way they represent the Portuguese dictatorship in their work and ultimately have the potential to contribute for the country’s interpretation of their own history.