Cinema in Ho Chi Minh: a filming practice as a territorial engagement

Abstract

Based on an experience of audiovisual production, this article aims to discuss the extent to which cinema can operate as a tool for territorial understanding and engagement. Taking as a starting point a film workshop held with young people and children of Ho Chi Minh, a rural settlement of the Landless Rural Workers Movement of Minas Gerais, we reflect on some methodological choices that contributed to the emergence of collaborative moments and greater autonomy between participants during the process. More than an analysis of the short film made, we are interested in contributing to debate on the issue of the method. We analyze how the process of filmmaking, from the creation of the script until the film’s premiere, configures as a relevant method of spatial understanding and collective engagement, promoting the autonomy and socio-spatial mobilization of young people about their context.