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Pereira Declares

Name: Pereira Declares
Director: Roberto Faenza
Released: 1995
Duration: 104 min

Representation Score

4.3/10

Fair

1995

Director

Roberto Faenza

Runtime

104 minutes

Average Rating

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New Showbiz Analysis

Pereira Declares is a sophisticated historical drama set in 1930s Portugal, examining the tension between systemic power and individual morality. The film stands out by challenging the traditionalist protagonist through his interactions with underrepresented voices. Its strength lies in its critique of totalitarianism and its focus on the strength of those targeted by racial and political laws. It effectively uses the Jewish experience to challenge the era's racial essentialism. However, the film lacks representation for LGBTQ+ individuals and does not include characters with disabilities.

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Category Breakdown

Does Pereira Declares have LGBTQ+ representation?

Minimal

The film does not include any LGBTQ+ characters or explore non-straight relationships. Instead, it focuses on the 1930s sociopolitical tensions through other identity lenses.

How does Pereira Declares portray gender?

Fair

Women play a crucial role in driving the protagonist's moral growth through their political resistance. The film highlights their strength and ability to act, contrasting it with the male lead's initial intellectual shortcomings.

How racially and ethnically diverse is Pereira Declares?

Excellent

The story shines by centering the Jewish experience during the rise of racial laws. It uses persecuted minorities as the main agents of moral truth against a nationalist backdrop.

How does Pereira Declares represent religion and culture?

Excellent

The film criticizes Western institutions and the press's complicity under fascism. It portrays the state as a corrupt entity that undermines traditional social bonds.

Does Pereira Declares include disability representation?

Minimal

There are no significant depictions of physical or neurodivergent disabilities within the main storyline.

Present on Screen

Strong exploration of ethnic and religious identity as drivers of moral truth.
Effective critique of fascist institutions and the press's complicity under fascism.
Meaningful depiction of female strength and political resistance within a patriarchal framework.

Limited or Absent

No representation of LGBTQ+ individuals or non-straight relationships.
Lack of representation regarding physical or neurodivergent disabilities.

Official Synopsis

Lisbon, 1938. Mr. Pereira is the editor of the culture section of an evening paper. Although fascism is on the rise in Europe, like in nearby civil war Spain or even inside Portugal itself in the form of Salazar's regime, Pereira only concerns himself with writing bios and translating French novels. Things change after he hires a young writer as his assistant, getting to know also his girlfriend – both opponents to the regime – and reluctantly helps them when they begin to get in trouble for subversive activities. Eventually, he's forced to take a stand...

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