v. 2 n. 2 (2022): Cinemas Silenciosos em Portugal

Apesar do meritório trabalho pioneiro de Manuel Felix Ribeiro, António Horta e Costa ou Fernando Duarte, e dos trabalhos mais recentes publicados por António Ferreira, José de Matos-Cruz ou Tiago Baptista, o período do cinema silencioso (1895-1930) é um dos menos estudados na história do cinema em Portugal. O distanciamento cronológico, a dificuldade crónica no acesso às fontes, ou mesmo o seu desaparecimento, tem sido os principais obstáculos a uma prática historiográfica mais regular e abrangente sobre o período, geralmente muito centrada na narrativa expositiva sobre a estilística dos filmes e dos seus autores (nomeadamente os realizadores), o que desvaloriza ou ignora aspectos contextuais como a economia ou o quadro sócio-cultural.

O objetivo deste número especial é oferecer uma actualização sobre os estudos relacionados com essas primeiras três décadas do cinema em Portugal e, simultaneamente, lançar novas pistas para o estudo de assuntos e objetos menos valorizados ou até mesmo ignorados na prática historiográfica em torno do cinema em Portugal, nomeadamente:

• Cinema exhibition venues in the era of silent cinema;
• Unique sound experiences used to accompany the films (such as voice recordings, musical accompaniment);
• Production models in silent cinema;
• Silent cinema in the Portuguese press (for example, the emergence of specialized magazines and commercial dissemination in the non-specialized press);
• Critical reception in the transition from silent to sound;
• Women in Portuguese silent cinema;
• Foreign contributions to Portuguese silent cinema (for example, directors such as Maurice Mariaud);
• The distribution of silent cinema in Portugal;
• Restoration and digital reproduction of silent films in Portugal.

Despite the praiseworthy pioneering work of Manuel Felix Ribeiro, António Horta e Costa or Fernando Duarte, and recent works published by António Ferreira, José de Matos-Cruz or Tiago Baptista, the era of silent cinema (1895-1930) is one of the least studied in the history of Portuguese cinema. The chronological distance, the chronic difficulty in accessing sources, or even their disappearance, have been the main obstacles to a more regular and comprehensive historiographical practice about the period; furthermore, existing studies are generally extremely focused on the expository narrative about the stylistics of the films and their creators (namely the directors), thus underestimating or disregarding contextual constraints such as the economy or the socio-cultural framework.

The purpose of this special issue is to provide an update on studies related to those first three decades of Portuguese cinema and, simultaneously, to launch new leads for the study of subjects and objects that have been underestimated or even disregarded in the historiographical practice around cinema in Portugal, particularly:

• Cinema exhibition venues in the era of silent cinema;
• Unique sound experiences used to accompany the films (such as voice recordings, musical accompaniment);
• Production models in silent cinema;
• Silent cinema in the Portuguese press (for example, the emergence of specialized magazines and commercial dissemination in the non-specialized press);
• Critical reception in the transition from silent to sound;
• Women in Portuguese silent cinema;
• Foreign contributions to Portuguese silent cinema (for example, directors such as Maurice Mariaud);
• The distribution of silent cinema in Portugal;
• Restoration and digital reproduction of silent films in Portugal.