Light and Color: the Artificial Aesthetics of Contemporary Brazilian Queer Cinema

Abstract

This article aims to investigate the artifice aesthetics of contemporary Brazilian queer cinema through some key concepts such as camp, the pretty and the notion of surface, in order to understand how they are articulated with each other and how they establish relationships with light and color as important elements that indicate a queer imagetic distinction. By establishing a critical platform against cis-heterosexual hegemony, the article not only invites a reassessment of these expressions, but also seeks to enrich the domain of queer studies and aesthetics within the cinematographic realm. The discussion seeks to deepen themes related to lighting, an intrinsic element for the existence of cinema. However, this exploration transcends the technical domain, examining how lighting has the ability to endure and create realistic perceptions tied to the Christian tradition. Thus, the role of light in the study can also be investigated from a moral perspective, highlighting its ability to articulate visual values in the narrative. By merging the complexities of artifice aesthetics with an in-depth analysis of cinematographic lighting, this study seeks to improve understanding of the various layers that permeate Brazilian queer cinema. In this process, it explores how this cinema goes beyond places of representation and works on image distinctions by challenging and modifying conventional notions of cinematographic language.