Intersemiotic translation and cultural representation in brazilian films: a narrative construction

Abstract

This paper presents the compilation of a multimodal corpus using two Brazilian films (Cidade de Deus and O Auto da Compadecida), considering the image as a source for narrative construction in both films. The theoretical framework includes Intersemiotic Translation and Cultural Representation in order to show that, although the films selected present specific ways of speaking portraying Brazilian people in specific spatio-temporal contexts, the comprehension of the narrated stories is not compromised even with the need for omitting some speeches in the subtitles in English, because of the fact that the images are able to translate the portrayed facts, not causing loss in meaning or lack of communication. The methodology includes the compilation of scenes of the two films to be analysed in specific sequence and plans as well as the observation of the theme explored in each film, besides the cultural information presented in the plans. The research to be carried out has two perspectives: i) the compilation and construction of a multimodal corpus of images that represent Brazil culturally through films, regardless of the regional and temporal contexts; and ii) the description of the cultural representation portrayed by the filmic images in national context.