Unveiling Portugal's Colonial Shadows: A Deep Dive into 'Rosinha and Other Wild Animals'

A Provocative Exploration of Colonialism

Marta Pessoa’s documentary, Rosinha and Other Wild Animals, confronts the legacy of colonialism in Portugal with a bold statement: “Portugal is not a racist country.” This assertion challenges the notion of lusotropicalism, which suggests that Portuguese imperialism was a gentler form of colonization compared to other European empires.

The 1934 Colonial Exhibition

The film focuses on the Portuguese colonial exhibition of 1934 held in Porto, where organizers constructed replicas of native dwellings from Portuguese colonies. Indigenous people were displayed, performing daily rituals for over a million spectators, turning their lives into a grotesque spectacle akin to a human zoo. This event aimed to glorify imperialism but instead highlighted the racist treatment faced by its African subjects.

The Impact of Representation

Throughout the film, Pessoa and co-writer Rita Palma sift through archival materials, particularly focusing on a haunting photograph of a topless African woman known as Rosinha. This search for identity inadvertently reinforces the voyeuristic and racist gaze present in ethnographic photography.

Despite attempting to challenge these portrayals, the film leans heavily on colonists’ writings for voiceover, neglecting revolutionary Black authors. While it features a few interviews with people of African descent, these moments are sparse and lack the depth required to create a significant impact. Ultimately, the film does not offer a robust reckoning of Portugal’s racist history but instead presents a tedious projection of white guilt.