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Sophia Journal

Theoretical Papers

Vol. 8 No. 1 (2023): Landscapes of care: photography, film, modern architecture and landscape heritage

São Paulo’s Minhocão on Film

  • Richard Williams

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Abstract

This paper concerns the cinematic representation of São Paulo’s Elevado João Goulart, a 3.5km elevated expressway close to the historic centre of the city, popularly known as the Minhocão. Built during the boom period of Brazil’s dictatorship, the Minhocão opened to traffic in January 1971. Controversial at the beginning of its existence, it has been partially rehabilitated, a process in which film has been important. The paper describes three general modes of the Minhocão’s depiction on film: in the first it represents a generalised fear of the modern city, in the second it is a normal part of the landscape, and in the third it is a form of aesthetic occupation. Key films discussed include Kiss of the Spider Woman (1985), directed by Hector Babenco (1985) and the documentary Elevado 3.5 (Maíra Bühler, Paulo Pastorelo and João Sodré 2006). The paper responds to Sophia’s Landscapes of Care theme by showing how over time film can, over time, help rehabilitate seemingly irredeemable infrastructure.

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  30. Films cited
  31. Babenco, Hector, director, Kiss of the Spider Woman, Film Dallas Pictures/Sugarloaf Films/HB Filmes, 1985, 2 hr 1 min.
  32. Babenco, Hector, director, Carandiru, Sony Pictures Classics/Globo Filmes, 2003, 2 hr., 27 min.
  33. Barba, Rosa, director, Disseminate and Hold, 2016, Foundation Prince Pierre de Monaco, 21 min.
  34. Bühler, Maíra, Paulo Pastorelo and João Sodré, directors, Elevado 3.5, Primo Filmes/TV Cultura, 2005, 1 hr., 15 min.
  35. Coutinho, Edouardo, director, Edifício Master, VideoFilmes, 2003, 1 hr., 50 min.
  36. Giorgetti, Ugo, director, Prédio Martinelli, Espiral, 1975, 22 min.
  37. Raulino, Aloysio director, Lacrimosa, ECA/USP, 1970, 12 min.
  38. Rewald, Rubens, director, Segundo Tempo, Miração Filmes/Heartwake Films, 2023, 1 hr., 47 min.
  39. Tilesi, Chiara and Stefano Veneruso, producers, All the Invisible Children, MK Film Productions/Rai Cinema, 2005, 2 hr., 4 min.