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The End and the Beginning

Name: The End and the Beginning
Director: Eduardo Coutinho
Released: 2006
Duration: 110 min

Representation Score

7.6/10

Good

2006

Director

Eduardo Coutinho

Runtime

110 minutes

Average Rating

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New Showbiz Analysis

Eduardo Coutinho’s documentary stands out by shifting the focus from an outsider’s perspective to the subjective truths of rural residents. By allowing underrepresented subjects to shape their own realities, the film disrupts traditional power dynamics. The film’s greatest strength lies in its racial and ethnic representation, offering a platform for the diverse voices of the Brazilian interior. It avoids the pitfalls of ethnographic voyeurism, enabling the community to define its own history and identity. However, the film operates within a traditional cultural framework. While it captures gendered experiences and aging, it does not explicitly address LGBTQ+ identities or non-cisgender gender expressions.

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Category Breakdown

Does The End and the Beginning have LGBTQ+ representation?

Fair

The film portrays a traditional rural community where diverse gender identities and same-sex relationships are not central to the narrative. There is no explicit depiction of non-cisgender identities within this specific setting.

How does The End and the Beginning portray gender?

Fair

A young woman plays a key role in mediating conflicts and driving the story forward. However, the subjects often discuss lives shaped by traditional hierarchies of honor and family structures.

How racially and ethnically diverse is The End and the Beginning?

Good

The documentary offers a deep look at the ethnic makeup of the Brazilian interior. By focusing on the Araçás Farm community, it gives a significant role in driving the story to individuals with non-Anglo-Saxon backgrounds.

How does The End and the Beginning represent religion and culture?

Good

The community is grounded in popular Catholicism and traditional honor systems. The film highlights disappearing traditions, implicitly criticizing the broader forces of modernization and cultural erosion.

Does The End and the Beginning include disability representation?

Fair

The elderly population brings themes of aging and physical decline to the forefront. It is unclear whether these portrayals emphasize active ability to act or are merely part of the narrative context.

Present on Screen

Centers the voices of non-Anglo-Saxon subjects, giving them a significant role in driving the story.
Shifts the focus away from an outsider’s perspective to the subjective experiences of rural residents.
Provides a nuanced, unfiltered look at the ethnic and racial diversity of rural Brazil.

Limited or Absent

Does not include explicit representation of LGBTQ+ identities or non-cisgender gender expressions.
Does not actively challenge traditional gender hierarchies or social roles.
Portrayals of aging and physical decline may remain incidental rather than emphasizing active ability to act.

Official Synopsis

A film that began from zero. Without any previous research, characters, locations or established themes, a film crew arrives at the Paraiba backlands in search of people with stories to tell. In the town of São João do Rio Peixe, they discover the Araçás Farm, a rural community where 86 families live, the majority connected by family ties. Thanks to the mediation of a young woman from Araçás, the residents – consisting mostly of elderly people – tell their life stories, marked by popular Catholicism, hierarchy, a sense of family and honor. A world on the verge of disappearing.

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