In 1961, Paulo Freire initiated a series of ambitious experiments in education. Teaming with State Approved education administrator Marcos Guerra, the man set out to the state of Angicos in northern Brazil to teach the illiterate population of adults to read and write. This is the history brought forth oral history style in Lendo o Mundo (Reading the World). This, the first feature-length film from directing team Iris de Oliveira and Catherine Murphy, is a fascinating tale to witness unfold.
Blending black and white footage – newsreel and interviews – with interviews of participants of the Angico literacy experiments, the documentary presents a heady melange of perspectives on Freire and Guerra’s most noble of enterprises. In 1961, illiteracy in Brazil was a staggering issue. The greater majority of the rural population could not read or write. And to be eligible to vote in Brazil, you must be literate. In many ways, this series of educational opportunities was a revolutionary act, as many of the participants say.
Acquiring perspectives from every demographic in Angicos, Oliveira and Murphy present what a welcome change of pace the literacy classes provided by Freire were. We learn of people who fell in love at these classes. Freire’s daughter, Madalena, tells us how she became a lifelong teacher. Empowered by the political administration of then-President João Goulart, the successes Freire and Guerra experienced in Angicos were to be expanded to the rest of rural Brazil. Sadly, those plans which Goulart would expound upon at length in regular addresses to the people of Brazil were never enacted. In 1964, the military staged a coup ďétat and removed Goulart from power. In so doing, we learn of the capture and imprisonment of Freire and Guerra for daring to educate the populace and expand the voting base of Brazil.
“… oral history of teaching the illiterate population of adults …”
Lendo o Mundo (Reading the World) then provides us with an overview of the military junta period of mid-20th-century Brazil. Goulart was exiled and died in 1976, never to return to his homeland. Freire and Guerra were exiled after 70 days of imprisonment. Freire would then go abroad and work in various countries, including the U.S., Switzerland, and China. In 1979, he and Guerra were allowed to return as the junta was losing power, and eventually, free and fair elections were allowed once more. But the United States backed the military regime and sustained its control of Brazil for 21 years, from 1964 to 1985.
Ultimately, the film is a good first effort from Oliveira and Murphy. It is a wonderful mix of various footage formats. The brief animated digressions keep the pace smooth and prevent the spectator from experiencing boredom, which happens occasionally when a documentary is principally populated by “talking heads,” as is the case here. The tale of Paulo Freire is one worthy of immortalizing on film, and one can hope his plan to expand literacy in Brazil was ultimately successful. The film ends on a very affirming and sweet note. It was a lovely emotional moment in a film filled with deeply emotional moments.
Lendo o Mundo (Reading the World) is a must-watch. Especially if you want to learn more about Brazil’s cultural history. It proves to be a very promising start for both Oliveira and Murphy.
"…ends on a very affirming and sweet note."
