Cinema and the teaching of History in the context of the Brazilian Civil-Military Dictatorship (1964–1985): the film frame as a didactic resource for addressing women’s participation in the struggle for democracy

Abstract

This article examines the absence of discussions regarding the presence of women in History textbooks addressing the  Brazilian Civil-Military Dictatorship (1964–1985) and presents cinema as an alternative didactic resource to problematize the teaching agenda concerning women’s histories in the context of political repression in the country. The study, developed within the framework of a Professional Master’s research in History Teaching, aimed to identify how textbooks portray women’s participation during the dictatorship, analyzing materials designed for the reformed Secondary Education, included in the National Textbook Program (PNLD), 2021 edition. The categories of analysis focused on the presence or absence of female figures, the social roles ascribed to them, and the language employed. The findings indicate that women’s participation, when mentioned, is limited to secondary or stereotyped roles, failing to recognize their political, militant, and social engagement during the dictatorship. As a pedagogical alternative, the use of cinematic frames in the classroom is proposed, exploring film scenes that depict women’s experiences and enable students to develop critical readings of this recent past. It is concluded that the cinematic frame, by articulating memory, aesthetic sensibility, and historical reflection, constitutes a powerful instrument to confront what we designate as the silencing of women’s participation in didactic materials.