Uma análise comparativa de “Cafarnaum” e “Guerra ao Terror” : cinema, história e a construção do Oriente Médio nas telas

Abstract

This research is located in the investigative field of Cultural History and its objective was to investigate the perspectives of the Middle East through cinema as a historical source and to work on the cinematographic representations of this East through “Capernaum” (2018) and “War on Terror” (2008). The research had as theoretical assumptions Edward Said's ideas about Orientalism to analyze the construction of cultural and ideological narratives about the Middle East in cinematographic productions. The analysis begins with a theoretical-methodological discussion on the relationship between Cinema and History, emphasizing the importance of considering how cinema shapes the public's perceptions of distant cultures. The questions that approached the representation were mainly studied from Chartier's ideas. Then, the study examines the cultural representations of the Middle East in both films: “Capernaum” has an individualistic and realistic approach to the people of the region, and in “The War on Terror”, which adopts a westernized approach to eastern characteristics. The article also seeks to discuss the narrative and ideological disputes present in Hollywood productions, resorting to Valim to demonstrate how political, social and economic factors affect narrative choices in the creation of films related to the Middle East. A comparative analysis between the films reveals how they represent violence and childhood vulnerability, in addition to reflecting on the impact of these representations on public perception. This article offers a critical analysis of cinematic representations of the Middle East, highlighting how cinema plays a significant role in shaping the Western view of the region. We also emphasize the importance of a critical approach to cultural and historical representations in cinema.