The Movement of Reencounter in Autobiographical Documentaries:

Returning to the Bodies, Archives, and Objects of a Life

Abstract

 In this article, we analyze the work of three artists (two filmmakers and one visual artist) with the aim of reflecting on the role of archives and objects in the movement of reencounter enacted in their respective productions. These are: the film Visit or Memories and Confessions (1982-2015), by Manoel de Oliveira; the documentary Requiem for my father (2018), by Guiomar Ramos; and the exhibition Ritornare (2024), by Vasco Araújo. We focus in particular on the two autobiographical documentaries, in which we sought to shift understandings regarding the function of archives and objects. We argue that, in their desire to reconnect with the past, both filmmakers mobilize archives and objects that, within the context of each film, become co-participants in a Lazarean relationship with death. Although these films enact temporal entanglements, it is precisely through these elements – archives and objects – that encounters between different temporal layers are materialized, acting as supports for presence and for dialogue with those who are no longer here.