The Brazilian Tropicália movement of the 1960s is traditionally associated with music and the visual arts, but Dr Stefan Solomon’s research has highlighted the significance of cinema in the mix.

Looking to show how film manifested as an intermedial art form in Brazil, Dr Solomon curated a season of films at the Tate Modern’s Starr Cinema. To show the continuities and changes in Brazilian film history, he selected five feature films and fourteen shorts from the 1960s through to contemporary filmmaking. Many were rare and the series included several UK premiers. Each film showing was carefully choreographed, featuring an introduction by Dr Solomon, and Q&A sessions with filmmakers and scholars from Brazil and the UK.

The season screened in November 2017 and each screening saw audience numbers exceeding the Tate’s expectations. Each event was enjoyed by a wide-ranging, multicultural audience of experts, film fans, and members of the Brazilian community.

Dr Solomon has pioneered a strong, ongoing connection between the University of Reading and Tate Film, while his 300-page season catalogue, featuring essays, interviews and manifestos relating to each of the films, has taken the film series to a global audience. The season’s success has brought new opportunities, including an exciting invitation to curate a strand of contemporary Brazilian films for the International Film Festival of Kerala, India in December 2018.

Partners: Tate Film

Judges’ comment: “Working with Tate Film, the team successfully brought Brazilian film history to life, for enthusiasts and critics in London and beyond”

Shortlisted for the University Research Engagement and Impact Awards 2018

First published: June 2018