Curating images in times of excess: reflections on selective and propositional film curatorship

Abstract

This article articulates contemporary theoretical contributions with the observation of recent curatorial practices to better understand the specificities of film curation. It argues that curation constitutes a dialogical field, where vectors of legitimation and aesthetic experimentation dynamically coexist. The research proposes the categories of selective and propositional curation as an approach to the dynamics at play in this practice—sometimes dealing with a limited and pre-existing universe of films, as in festival calls for entries, and at other times starting from hypotheses and actively seeking out works, as in thematic film programs. In this process, selection and proposition emerge not as opposing poles, but as interdependent dimensions capable of challenging and renewing the ways of organizing filmic experience. Drawing from interviews with Brazilian curators and the observation of various festivals and showcases, the article discusses different curatorial approaches—sometimes based on objective selection criteria, at other times guided by conceptual hypotheses and thematic propositions. It is observed that the curator assumes an active role in mediating between films and audiences, creating interpretive paths and suggesting new ways of reading. In this sense, curation goes beyond the mere selection of works and is consolidated as a critical and discursive practice. Especially in the contemporary context of audiovisual overproduction and instability in cultural policies, reflecting on the modes of curating films also means thinking about the possible paths to give visibility to the aesthetic and political diversity of cinema.