This study seeks to identify similarities between the central role of the feminine in Afro-Brazilian religions and in the imaginary constructs about "saint mothers" (mães de santo) in Brazilian cinema based on producer Alfredo Sternheim's 1974 film "Pureza Proibida" (Forbidden Purity), and producer João Daniel Tikhomiroff's 2009 movie "Besouro" (Beetle). Based on cultural studies, feminist criticism, and film theory, this paper discusses the intersection of race and gender identities and observes forms of visibility and multiple configurations of the black woman in these audiovisual narratives.
black women; brazilian cinema; film analysis