FGV CPDOC Screens Documentary on the Relationship Between Culture and Mental Health

On the afternoon of September 24, researchers and artists from Manguinhos gathered at the headquarters of Fundação Getulio Vargas in Rio de Janeiro for the screening of Coisa de Favela. The film stems from a scientific study conducted in collaboration with Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (Fiocruz) and Queen Mary University of London, through the Laboratory for Studies and Research in Mental Health and Psychosocial Care (LAPS) and People’s Palace Projects (PPP). The project aims to explore how cultural activities can contribute to mental health.

According to FGV project coordinator Sílvia Monnerat, the research emerged from the need to consider culture as a promoter of health. “In its broader concept, health is not merely the absence of disease. It involves more complex factors, such as socioeconomic and cultural aspects, which directly impact individual well-being, especially in contexts of social vulnerability,” she explained.

The project began in 2022 with open data research on the internet, aiming to map cultural activities in the Manguinhos Complex. Located in the North Zone of Rio de Janeiro, the area comprises around 12 communities, is home to approximately 40,000 residents, and has one of the five lowest Human Development Indexes (HDI) in the city, with high levels of social vulnerability and urban violence.

However, the area is also characterized by strong community organization and cultural initiatives that foster care, resistance, and local leadership. Throughout the project, over 40 initiatives were identified, leading to the creation of the catalog Cultural Strategies in Manguinhos: Perspectives on Mental Health Care and the Leadership of Favela Residents.

During the event’s opening, Monnerat highlighted that the methodology used to survey cultural activities is already being replicated by research institutions in Colombia, Guatemala, and Bolivia, with the same goal of assessing the impact of culture on mental health.

Fiocruz researcher Paulo Amarante also participated in the screening and emphasized the transformative role of culture. “Cultural initiatives allow people to protect themselves, organize, and defend themselves collectively. Culture has the power to lift individuals out of suffering and generate life,” said Amarante, who coordinates the project at Fiocruz.

Amarante also underscored the innovative approach of the research. “For a long time, academia acted as an external agent that observes, extracts, and publishes. That’s why we chose a participatory, non-extractive methodology. The idea was to build knowledge together with the communities, respecting their experiences and wisdom.”

After the documentary screening, the film’s director Franciele Campos spoke about its development, and researchers and students joined a discussion with artists from Manguinhos on the research findings and the relationship between academia and local cultural agents. Writer Celeste Estrela and cultural mobilizer Cátia Nascimento were present, reciting poems and singing for the audience.

The film received an Award of Exceptional Merit at the International Documentary Without Borders Festival and was selected for the Toronto International Women Film Festival. Released with sign language interpretation, audio description, and subtitles in Portuguese, English, and Spanish, Coisa de Favela will soon be available on YouTube. In the meantime, the trailer can be viewed via this link.