Meninas/Teen Mothers 2005
Distributed by Cinema Guild, 115 West 30th Street, Suite 800, New York, NY 10001; 212-685-6242
Produced by Cineluz, Co-produced by Giros
Directed by Sandra Werneck
DVD, color, 71 min.
Jr. High - Adult
Parenting, Adolescence, South American Studies, Sociology, Teenage Pregnancy
Date Entered: 09/12/2007
Reviewed by Kristin M. Jacobi, J. Eugene Smith Library, Eastern Connecticut State University, Willimantic, CTThis documentary shot in Brazil follows the pregnancies of four teenagers. Each girl has a story to tell and there is no voice-over explanation to aid the viewer in understanding the context of these girls’ lives. The director, Sandra Werneck, leaves the sociological, psychological, political and emotional comprehension to the knowledge and experience of the viewer. This neutral stance allows one to empathize with the lives and attitudes of the girls at face value.
Because the filming lasted over one year, you follow the girls in conversation with their families, into their homes viewing their surroundings, to their doctors’ offices, with their boyfriends, at the clubs, into the maternity ward, and back home. The hospital scenes are graphic, but so is childbirth.
Without voiceover and explanatory texts, it is difficult to keep the four girls separate. But as the film progresses, you can identify each and follow their lives intimately.
This documentary will elicit much conversation and debate when viewed without a knowledgeable background. With some well written and current readings to digest and discuss regarding the ‘popularity’ of teenage pregnancy in Brazil and the current worldwide “epidemic,” this film would be an excellent start.
Portuguese with English subtitles. For use in social studies classes where international topics are explored, or health and/or sex education classes.
Recommended.