Auckland Festival of Photography 2010 Conference Centre Lecture Theatre, 22 Symonds Street 1010 Auckland Nouvelle-Zélande
Who are the Brazilians living abroad? What is the reality of these different migrants? What were the motivations that made them leave Brazil? What is to be a Brazilian in another space? How they live the Brazilian culture outside Brazil? How is the contact with the local culture? How do they adapt to the new environment? How do they see Brazil once they are away from it? These, among other aspects, were the “triggers” for the elaboration of this project. Very little is documented about Brazilians abroad, and few are the testimonies that reveal the living experiences from their every day lives, their routines. The statistics are uncertain, but we know that we are many spread throughout the world. The Brazilian migration is gradually increasing every year, making this an important aspect of studies. This photography project therefore intends to be a testimony of some Brazilians living abroad. The two photographers joined forces and are working together in this “Volume 1 – Brazilians in New Zealand”, where the project has been initiated. These are distinct ways of seeing within the same topic, ways of seeing that intercept one another and dialogue, in a way that construct a discourse of images about the reality in which the photographers are confronted with. These ways of seeing aim to understand this new movement, less than 30 years old which affects Brazil. These ways of seeing aim also to provide Brazilians with ways to develop tools for reflecting and analysing a subject that is common to many, either being migrants themselves or extended family which remains in Brazil. These different ways of seeing aim, afterall, to reveal to the foreign community who receives Brazilians, the cultural diversity of our people. It challenges the stereotypes that many have about our culture, showing that Brazil is not only carnival, soccer and beer.