Cinema, cultura e geografia: a construção cultural e espacial dos filmes Rio e Rio 2

Abstract

Starting from the use of cinema as a teaching resource in the classroom, this study highlights the effort to move beyond traditional teaching practices in schools, emphasizing the need for education to adopt resources connected to students’ realities, such as cinematic productions, whose reach has expanded significantly. Image production, influenced by the media industry, sometimes seeks to represent the real world through film; therefore, there arises a commitment to analyze the narratives created through critical reading, especially when they are used as teaching and learning tools. This research seeks to analyze how the films Rio and Rio 2 contribute to understanding the spatial and cultural perceptions of specific regions within Brazilian territory. In other words, the general objective is to understand whether and how these films can be considered didactic and pedagogical resources for the teaching of Geography. Based on this question, the specific objectives include analyzing the narratives developed in the films, as well as their representations of Brazilian spaces and culture. Engagement with both films allows for several observations within the field of Geography, including the human–nature relationship, the processes and effects of urbanization, social issues, biodiversity, environmental preservation, and other relevant spatial phenomena studied by Geography. The research adopts a qualitative approach, grounded in a literature review and a critical analysis of the narratives of Rio and Rio 2 . Scenes related to geographical themes were selected in order to evaluate their potential as teaching resources in Geography education. The representations found in the narratives broaden understanding through the interpretation of images and contribute to a critical analysis of stereotypes about Brazil, while recognizing cinema as an industry driven by capitalist interests. This study concludes that the use of cinema as a teaching and learning tool enables reflection and encourages critical analysis of films in educational institutions, promoting not only a critical perspective on reality, but also on space from a geographical perspective.