XVII Congress of the Brazilian Studies Association

Tomorrowland: Black protagonist of dystopias and utopias in Brazilian afrofuturistic films

• In Event: Underrepresented voices in Brazilian Cinema: Presence, Tensions and Representations

Abstract

The scarce presence of African descent in cultural productions, such as literature, cinema, fine arts, and music is long known. When Black writers and Black protagonists are taken into account, such presence is even more scarce. The frequent absence of Black bodies and Black expressions in cultural productions is a constant reminder that Black voices are still forced to be contained in the cultural sphere. Even more so in futuristic representations, such as in speculative fiction.

In 1994, Mark Dery coined the term Afrofuturism in his essay “Black to the Future”. In this essay Dery raises the following question: “Why do so few African Americans write science fiction, a genre whose close encounters with the Other – the stranger in a strange land – would seem uniquely suited to the concerns of African American novelists?” (179). Fast-forward 30 years, and collective fantasies of the future showcases a society in which the youth use virtual currency and live happily in peace. This is seen on the website and online marketing material of the mega-show titled “Tomorrowland” that travels world-wide offering an experience of multiple days of music in the land of tomorrow. However, once again, Black bodies are not part of this projection of the future.

With this in mind, my presentation will analyze the Brazilian short films Beatitude (2015), Chico (2016) and Blackout (2020) as examples of Afrofuturism. It will defend that Afrofuturism goes beyond a genre or an aesthetic movement. It is a form of Black activism through arts because, not only it claims for Black voices in cultural productions, but it portrays the Afro-diasporic presence and speculation in the future.

Author

• Fernanda Guida, Spelman College