Research on Black Saints in Brazilian Cinema Presented at AVANCA | CINEMA 2025

From July 23 to 27, the international conference AVANCA | CINEMA brought together researchers and practitioners to discuss cinema, art, and communication. Among the presentations was the paper “Black Saints in Brazilian Cinema: Representation, Spirituality, and Cultural Identity”, co-authored by Selma Pereira (Universidade Lusófona, Portugal), Ricardo Alexino Ferreira (University of São Paulo, Brazil), and Adérito Fernandes-Marcos (University of Saint Joseph, Macau).

Published in the conference proceedings, the article examines how Brazilian cinema portrays Black saints—figures deeply tied to resistance, spirituality, and the cultural identity of Afro-descendant communities. The authors explore how these cinematic representations engage with collective memory, popular religiosity, and religious syncretism, revealing the tensions between faith, identity, and cultural heritage.

Through the analysis of selected films, the study contributes to a broader understanding of the role of Black spirituality in shaping cultural identity while also highlighting the importance of valuing religious diversity in the cinematic space.

More about the conference can be found here: AVANCA | CINEMA.
The article is available at this link: (44) Black Saints in Brazilian Cinema: Representation, Spirituality, and Cultural Identity.