Cinema Inspiration at the Photographic Archive

 

Second-year Film and Television students visited the Photographic Archive of the Lisbon City Council in an initiative organized by Pedro Sena Nunes, in collaboration with the institution’s educational service. The activity allowed students to gain a deeper understanding of the work carried out by the archive and opened new paths for many of the research topics and references they will use in the future.

During the visit, students explored two exhibitions that present different perspectives on deprivation of freedom and the power of photography as a tool for expression and social reflection. The first, Estrela de Seis Pontas, presents Pedro Medeiros’ perspective on the Lisbon Prison Establishment. The second exhibition, O que pode uma imagem falar, focuses on the experiences of young people serving custodial measures in educational centers. The project was developed by MEF — Movimento de Expressão Fotográfica — , in collaboration with Sofia Castro, who previously served as a jury member for an edition of the ETIC LAB.

Both exhibitions raise essential questions: “What is a six-pointed star?” and “How does a young person feel when they are in an educational center?” These reflections focus on the experiences of people living without freedom.

The visit to the Archive proved to be a meaningful and thought-provoking experience for our students. By confronting stories of young people their own age who are separated from society for having committed crimes or theft, students were encouraged to reflect on different life contexts and on the role of images in building narratives and fostering empathy.