Staging Resistance: Fact, Fiction, and Performative Propositions in Three Films by Brazilian Artist Jonathas de Andrade

This screening will foreground three short films by the artist Jonathas de Andrade whose work utilizes fact and fiction as he works to direct non-actors through narrative sequences that surface the agency of the performer. Through a range of techniques de Andrade’s works give us a window into the lives of members of our society who are often on the fringes while giving individual agency to each participant as he embraces conversations and challenges. Jonathas de Andrade embraces the storytelling process.

Olho da Rua is a vibrant film depicting a feast in an open-air park; all performers are unhoused individuals living in Recife, Brazil.
Jogos Dirigidos explores gestures and sign language within the deaf community in Sertão, a dry, almost desert-like landscape in the deep countryside of Northeastern Brazil.
O Peixe, the most well-known film, takes on a quieter, dramatic tone by the sea and river.

Jonathas de Andrade (b. 1982, Maceió, Brazil) is a Recife-based artist working with video, photography, and installation. His work blends fiction and reality, exploring language, anthropology, and social issues. His 2023 exhibition Na Cidade da Ressaca examined Recife’s influence on his artistic and political views. Engaging with Brazilian modernism, he critiques its colonial legacy and urbanization’s impact. Since 2007, he has co-led the collective A Casa como Convém. Notable works include Nostalgia, a Class Sentiment (2012). His recent solo exhibitions include the Brazilian Pavilion at the 2022 Venice Biennale, MAAT Lisbon, and MCA Chicago.