Marielle's Legacy Will Not Die - A film screening and discussion with Leonard Cortana on intersectional politics in Brazil

About this event

This event on intersectional politics and social movements in Brazil is organised by Dr Marie Duboc and Dr Sabrina Bouarour and focuses on the mobilisations that followed the assassination in 2018 of Marielle Franco, who was an Afro-Brazilian Councilwoman in Rio de Janeiro and a human rights activist. 

The event will start with a screening of Leonard Cortana's documentary film, Marielle's Legacy Will Not Die. Released in 2019, this short documentary shows how Rio de Janeiro became an active site of resistance and memorialisation of Franco’s legacy, where activists and artists pressured the city to ask "who ordered Marielle Franco's murder?". The film traces their struggle for justice in a context of rising fear over the far-right policies of former President Jair Bolsonaro.

The screening will be followed by a discussion with Leonard Cortana about the film and the political situation in Brazil following the election of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, and a drinks reception.

Please note that the film will be screened in Portuguese with English subtitles. The discussion will be in French with the possibility to ask questions in English.

Speaker - Leonard Cortana

Leonard Cortana (Guadeloupe/France) is a PhD Candidate at the Cinema Studies Department at NYU Tisch School of the Arts and a fellow at the Berkman Klein Center, Harvard Law School. His research interests include the circulation of transnational narratives about racial justice, collaborative activist movements and the legacy of assassinated activists between Brazil, France, South Africa and the United States of America. He researches primarily the legacy of Marielle Franco and anti-apartheid activist Dulcie September.

Prior to his doctoral studies, he conducted several artistic and educational projects with non-profits and United Nations agencies that engage with young people in multiple countries including Chile, Brazil, France, and Bulgaria. He became a Trainer for the European Commission’s Youth Program projects and the Children International Summer Village Organization and designed methodologies in theatre and storytelling for social inclusion.