Collective of filmmakers mobilizes to produce the film ‘Tecnofobia’
The work is the third film in a trilogy that addresses topics such as Afrofuturism and cyberpunk
Photo credits: Maíra Gomes and Josy Andrade
By: Renato Silva / Lupa do Bem – Favela em Pauta
With a team and production based in Baixada Fluminense, the collective and Escola Criativa Àwòrán is carrying out crowdfunding for the production of the film ‘Tecnofobia’, which brings a mix between Afrofuturism and cyberpunk, with the aim of debating topics such as racial issues and high technology consumption.
The trilogy began in 2018, with a film produced on a vacation trip and finished only after the project was approved. ‘Tecnoismo’ was released at the Belgian Film and Arts Festival and can be watched for free on YouTube.
The second piece of the trilogy, ‘Tecnofagia’, still fulfills a script of presentations at festivals until it is released to the general public, which should occur in the coming months. Now, the creative team at Àwòrán – Yoruba term that can be translated as “image” – works to make the production of the third film, ‘Technophobia’ viable.
In the context of the pandemic, it has become important to support projects in the art and culture sector, as found in the article by the National Association of Specialists in Public Policies and Governmental Management – ANESP, which states that the impact of the new coronavirus pandemic generated a loss of R$ 11.1 billion to Brazil, affecting 5.2 million Brazilians working in this sector.
Marcos Lamoreux, one of those responsible for the trilogy, tells about what it was like to work with cyberpunk in a film project. “I wanted to think a little about this idea and [also] focus on racial issues,” he says.
Much more than a trilogy
The production of cinematographic works is just one of the many achievements of these young filmmakers. They form an organization that presents itself as a creative audiovisual school with an Afrocentric perspective.
Àwòrán began in 2018, as an extension course at the State University of Rio de Janeiro (UERJ), with the theme ‘Technologies and audiovisual applied to education’. The course had a diversified target audience, generating integration between young people from pre-college entrance exams, undergraduates and high school students.
Since its foundation, various models and courses have been offered by the organization, such as the Cinema and Audiovisual course, aimed at collectives, organizations, groups, teachers, agents and cultural spaces, aiming to open paths for small organizers to understand all the steps necessary to start an audiovisual project.
Lamoreux also talks about the importance of disseminating this knowledge and putting the theory taught into practice. “It’s important to show that things are possible, with planning, with research, we can do the most amazing things. It is possible to do with little, produce with quality, with science. It is possible to study, run after and take a break,” he says.
How to contribute to the film
To support the production of the film ‘Technofobia’, the organization is accepting contributions via Pix, through the key coraldwho@gmail.com (email). The money raised in crowdfunding should make transportation, food, consumables and personal protective equipment viable.
