CPOY

CPOY 76 Documentary Gold: Golgotha

Golgotha: In Hebrew, "The Place of the Skull". In the Bible, the hill where Jesus was crucified. In the Roman Empire, the most cruel penalty. In Israel, the main pilgrimage point. Contemporary Brazil brings this dual meaning of Golgotha: a territory where is a death machine, but also the place of sacrifice, resurrection and redefinition of meanings. Researchers predict that by 2032, the majority of the Brazilian population will be converted to Evangelical Christianity. At the same time, an ultra conservative, populist, right-wing wave, led by President Jair Bolsonaro, is washing over the country. I propose telling this story from the perspective of individuals that seem to have little in common, aside from sharing their faith. However, their dreams, ambition, and desire for life and opportunity both explains and complexifies the understanding of what it means to be Evangelical in contemporary Brazil. The project tries to understand the different faces of evangelization in the country, trying to find the gaps in between the biblical and the tupiniquim, the Jesus green and yellow from the Brazilian Flag and the creative contradictions it brings. It looks at the place where the people put their faith, sometimes their money and many others their anguishes and ambitions.

Caption
Slide 6 of 12
July 17, 2020
Missionary Nilton Pereira preaches to drug dealers at a favela in Rio de Janeiro. Nilton used to be a drug dealer and became an evangelical missionary in jail. He now works as a cleaning staff of a building and uses his free time to spread the words of Jesus. Nilton is one of the examples of the many Brazilians who gained a “new life” with his conversion. One of the reasons why evangelicals grow fast in Brazil is because they fill a gap that was left open by the state. The church provides education, shelter, food and a social environment for its members. Besides that, Brazil has a strong catholic background. One of the biggest differences between evangelism and catholicism is that evangelicals can forgive any sins and provide a new life for those who go in the “wrong” path.
Location
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