Observações sobre cinema experimental de Maya Deren: análise dos filmes Meshes of the Afternoon (1943) e At Land (1944)

Abstract

This Master's degree dissertation investigates the main techniques used in Maya Deren's cinema, analyzing its aesthetic and narrative attributes to understand the construction of cinematic language and narrative of Maya Deren in Meshes of the Afternoon (1943) and At Land (1944). To achieve this, a historical overview of experimental cinema is presented, discussing its emergence, development, and differentiation from commercial cinema. Subsequently, the mechanisms through which Deren manipulates imagery and editing to construct meaning are explored, breaking with traditional linearity and creating sensory and symbolic experiences. The analysis of both films highlights the use of repetition, fragmentation of time and space, bodily performance, and innovative visual resources that define her work.