Surfing in the cinema and the Brazilian society in the transition from the 70s to the 80s

Abstract

In the transition from the 70s to the 80sfour films in which surfing was a central issue were released, in Brazil, attracting large crowds: Nas ondas do surf, by Lívio Bruni Júnior (1978); Nos embalos de Ipanema (1978), Menino do Rio (1981), and Garota Dourada (1983), all by Antônio Calmon. Besides, this sport was represented as a side theme in other motion pictures. What lies beneath this enormous growth of surfing's presence in Brazil's movies? How can this help us think not only the different configurations of the sport field but also the specific Brazilian sociocultural context? Considering such questions, this article aims to analyse these four films, produced in Brazil between 1978 and 1983, in which surfing occupied privileged space. We conclude that the studied films signaled and helped forge the new symbolic dimensions for the Brazilian society in the transition year 70/80, in which surfing has become a more constant presence in several areas.