From witness to relevant player

Beatriz Bojunga at the Instituto Nacional de Cinema Educativo (1936-1965)

Abstract

Beatriz Roquette Bojunga (1911-1999) worked for 30 years at the National Institute of Educational Cinema or INCE, in the Portuguese acronym (1936-1966). Throughout that period she went from secretary to director of the film library, and her activities involved the organization of production, and the release of films from the first official producer of movies in Brazil. Being Humberto Mauro’s right hand, in contrast to what was established in the bibliography, she even participated in shooting. Thus, much more than a ‘handyman,’ as she defined her job, she would have been what is today called a production director, and the  effective promoter of INCE, acting as a cultural mediator between the institution, experts and the public she helped develop. This paper aims to expose that context, taking into consideration the silence of Bojunga’s own report on her status at INCE – due to the irrelevance attributed to women’s professional activities, by men and women alike, and due to the scarcity of written documentation about her actions. However, if such interdict points to gender issues, these are pervaded and clouded by social belonging.