While Eurocentrism primarily refers to looking at the world with a European, colonial perspective, it is a complex term to break down with regard to its ‘tendencies’ (Shohat and Stam, 3). One key tendency however is to bifurcate the world into ‘the West’ and ‘the rest’ (Shohat and Stam, 4). For the purposes of the argument that ‘Cidade de Deus’ confirms Eurocentric tendencies and ‘Diarios de motocicleta’ subverts them, this essay will focus on the notion that the first focuses on the violence, aggressiveness and underdevelopment of a Brazilian favela through a limited, privileged perspective and the latter emphasises the diversity of indigenous Latin Americans, avoiding limiting South America to quite simply, ‘non-European’ and aiming to give
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Fernando Solanas, a pioneer of third cinema, suggests that if films aim for a relatively ‘concrete reality’ and attempt to recreate reality through documentary techniques they can constitute third cinema to an extent (MacBean and Solonas, 39). Through adopting a documentary tone, authenticity is improved and the film is based in a more diverse representation of South American people (Pinazza, 181) as opposed to suggesting inescapable cruelty in a single favela. The use of non-actors in the film,notably the Indian woman who was only able to speak Quechua and the boy, Don Nestor from Cuzco, accentuates this documentary approach. Nestor acts as a tour guide in one scene, noting in particular the two different types of architecture visible: one made by the Incas and the other by the “Inca-pables”, or the Spanish (Salles, 2004). By placing this real architecture in the centre of the frame, it becomes the centre of attention as does the message that comes with it; that Europeans are more of an interference than they are motors for progressive change. Mise-en scene is part of depicting a struggle experienced by indigenous people the film aims to tell it through the ‘language of visuals’ (Sison, 99) The struggle depicted here through documentary techniques is that of “Eurocentric Spanish, colonial incursion and conquest as well as continuing oppression in the name of ‘progress’ (Sison, 98). By enabling indigenous people to discuss their situation from their point of view, the film avoids adopting a patronising tone and establishes a humane, intellectual, South American
Fernando Solanas, a pioneer of third cinema, suggests that if films aim for a relatively ‘concrete reality’ and attempt to recreate reality through documentary techniques they can constitute third cinema to an extent (MacBean and Solonas, 39). Through adopting a documentary tone, authenticity is improved and the film is based in a more diverse representation of South American people (Pinazza, 181) as opposed to suggesting inescapable cruelty in a single favela. The use of non-actors in the film,notably the Indian woman who was only able to speak Quechua and the boy, Don Nestor from Cuzco, accentuates this documentary approach. Nestor acts as a tour guide in one scene, noting in particular the two different types of architecture visible: one made by the Incas and the other by the “Inca-pables”, or the Spanish (Salles, 2004). By placing this real architecture in the centre of the frame, it becomes the centre of attention as does the message that comes with it; that Europeans are more of an interference than they are motors for progressive change. Mise-en scene is part of depicting a struggle experienced by indigenous people the film aims to tell it through the ‘language of visuals’ (Sison, 99) The struggle depicted here through documentary techniques is that of “Eurocentric Spanish, colonial incursion and conquest as well as continuing oppression in the name of ‘progress’ (Sison, 98). By enabling indigenous people to discuss their situation from their point of view, the film avoids adopting a patronising tone and establishes a humane, intellectual, South American