Abstract
The documentary as a research strategy in the field of human sciences still generates significant debate. Aiming to contribute to this debate, the objective of this article is to point out some methodological challenges that marked the process of researching/ recording/narrating a documentary film about the life trajectory of Keila Simpson and its interweavings with(in) the history of the transvestite movement in Brazil. Thus, through a theoretical analysis, we initially discuss the disputes over the real and the truth that (re)produce in the interaction with the images. From an ethnographic perspective, then, we reflect on our journey of making a documentary, in the stages of exploration and production of sketches, presenting possibilities and limits to make/think/negotiate an ethnographic film being a researcher/filmmaker in interaction with the interlocutor/narrator. We understand that the film will allow us to understand sensitive aspects of the protagonist and her sociability and, indirectly, to understand the sensitive not directly addressed by the images.
Keywords:
transvestites; documentary film; ethnography