Rosinha and the Other Wild Animals

Racism is not only a relic of the past—it is an active discourse, a way of seeing, and a history continuously being reproduced. The film’s titular Rosinha is an indigenous woman from Guinea who became a symbol of the First Portuguese Colonial Exhibition, organized by the Estado Novo. The film is a journey into the past to better understand the present.

In 1934, Porto hosted the First Portuguese Colonial Exhibition. Amidst the festive atmosphere, crowds of Portuguese left their homes not to plan life in the colonies, but to view indigenous people displayed in recreated “villages”, including, according to reports, “black women with bare breasts”. In this way, a young woman from Guinea, known as Rosinha, became the symbol of the exhibition.

But who was Rosinha, really? Who were the historical Rosinhas that made people believe in the lesson of the Estado Novo—and perhaps explain why the belief that “Portugal is not a racist country” is still so easily accepted today? The film poses this question from the start, immediately reflecting: “does it even make sense to begin the film this way?”. Throughout the documentary, the history of fascist propaganda emerges like a dark mirror, difficult to face. Portugal is a country with an untold history, and this film is an attempt to break the silence.

After the screening there will be a meeting with the film director Marta Pessoa.