Cinemagoing and public film screenings in the countryside of Minas Gerais the construction of memories and sociabilities in the villages of Mogol (MG) and São José dos Lopes (MG)

Abstract

This paper explores the recent history of film screenings in two communities in the countryside of the state of Minas Gerais. São José dos Lopes and Mogol are districts of the city of Lima Duarte (MG), where the field research for this article was conducted. Through personal accounts, we have established a brief timeline of audiovisual-related events and screenings in these villages, investigating the residents' relationship with the cinematic experience. We reflect on the individual's experience within the exhibition space, considering how it influences content reception through memories, stories, and affections, alongside other elements that constitute the experience beyond the film projection itself. We employ the "New Cinema History" framework, which investigates film history as a component of social culture shaped by the bond between the audience, the cinematic space, and the film—all pieces connected in a single experience initiated by the habit of going to the movies: cinemagoing. We conducted interviews with nine individuals, ranging from local residents to cultural producers involved in the screenings in various ways, utilizing the Oral History methodology as represented in our bibliography by Verena Alberti and Paul Thompson.