Notes on the dispositif in contemporary documentary

Abstract

This paper investigates the power of the “dispositif” as a creative and political strategy in contemporary documentary, adopting as object three recent Brazilian movies (Pacific, Rua de mão dupla e Câmara escura). In the analysis, we highlight their aesthetic vitality – the way they confront and suggest alternatives to important problems in documentary tradition –, their points of convergence and divergence, as well as the performances instigated by “the camera effect” in each of them: ambivalent performances that fluctuate between the growing need of exposure and the strong desire of restoring intimacy. Our analytical course starts with a theoretical review of the concept of “dispositif”, followed by a study of its application and results in each movie stated.