Mouraria 3.0

Abstract

Mouraria, an old neighborhood in the center of Lisbon (Portugal), is a place historically marked by a spatial, social and cultural division, associated with a population with economic difficulties and migratory movements. Until the beginning of the XX century was one of the poorest districts in the city, known for its "bad reputation" and misery. However, supported by a number of social and cultural elements such as Fado, religious processions, street life and sociability and neighborhood networks, it is also considered a traditional and typical neighborhood. The idealization of Mouraria as a popular neighborhood was important in the construction of an imaginary that distinguished it not only by the previous negative connotations tbut also by positive elements.

After Salazar's propaganda of "portugalidade" and the institutionalization of popular culture, during the Estado Novo political regime (1933-1974), were developed several socio-urbanistic interventions in the city that sought to give a new image to the old neighborhoods of Lisbon. Following these policies of hygiene and emblematiza t ion of the city, Mouraria suffered various demolitions that altered its structure and its sociocultural dynamics.The displaced inhabitants were taken to social districts on the outskirts, and the spaces formerly occupied by bars and prostitutes gave way to homelessness, trafficking and drug use (Menezes, 2004). Subsequently, two shopping centers were constructed, transforming the area into an important commercial center of the city and promoting the settlement of ethnic minorities brought there by immigrat ion, which in turn would give rise to the current label of a multicultural and multi-ethnic neighborhood. Following such changes his image became dissonant, fragmented between the typical imaginary and the cosmopolitan appeal. However, given its position in the territory of the city and exactly due to its diverse cultural characteristics, in 2011 a process of urban requalification begins, which currently places the neighborhood in a psychological position accessible to the rest of the city and in tourist guides as a place to visit.

In an attempt to counteract the tendency of the neighborhood to stay on the sidelines, the urban intervention program QREN Mouraria: the cities within the city designed a public space rehabilitation plan and a community development plan, looking forward to, through culture and space, give Mouraria a new centrality in Lisbon. This urban and social intervention program aimed to reverse the situation of physical deterioration, social precariousness, and urban insecurity, through the enhancement of historical and cultural heritage and focus on socio-cultural and touristic development, proposed to reverse the relationship between city/district opening and adding value to the neighborhood, making it visible and visitable.

Mouraria 3.0 it’s a film that portraits Mouraria in the context of the socio-urban intervention process QREN Mouraria – the cities within the city. Focusing on popular and institutional discourses, sought to build a dialogue between the two, confronting two views, usually separated. Following daily rhythms and tensions between these and the new dynamics imposed on the neighborhood, the film highlights the communica tive void that accompanied this intervention process and invites to think about the representations built in the neighborhood. This film was produced within the framework of my master's thesis in Anthropology - Visual Cultures (2015).

Credits:

Researcher: Ana Rita Matias

Advisor: Catarina Alves Costa

Director: Ana Rita Matias

Assembley: Ana Rita Matias

Local: Lisbon, Portugal

Year: 2014