design research, strategy, prototyping, video storytelling, modeling complexity, visual design
Elas Paralelas — ‘Parallel Lives’
Sharing parallel realities about housemaids in Rio de Janeiro
Briefing
How might a multimedia project could contribute towards a social transformation?
Elas Paralelas was my Final Project in BA of Design - Visual Communication. The project is about a socially discriminated group in Brazil: the housemaids. This work aims to capture the reality of these workers who are mainly women and have a symbolic role in the Brazilian culture. Through in-depth interviews, Celinha, Rita, Vera, Neide and Elida shared intimate and emotional experiences regarding to their life stories, resilience strategies and relationships with their employers. The main goal was to provide visibility for the topic and invite people to get closer to their reality, and possibly instigate a behavioral change. The videos, photographs and stories collected in the interviews resulted in a documentary film (below).
“Vera said that she saw herself in the documentary and that she is thrilled to have participated. I want to thank you for giving her this space that made her so happy! I wish I could have watched more of it, because it is so good and engaging as it express the emotion of simple and deep humanity. It is so important to get in touch with their perspective of life, especially for us that live with these people and often we do not realize their personal lives.”
Project Timeline
The flowchart below shows the project’s process, including stakeholders, opportunities and threats in each step/phase — it was key for decision making and management of existing critical issues.
SPECIAL THANKS TO THE WHOLE TEAM
Project director and producer: Julia Rochlin
Interviewees: Vera Gonçalves do Nascimento, Élida Marcelino, Rita de Cássia Amorim, Maria Célia de Sousa and Edineide Santana.
Mentor: Ricardo Cavalcanti / ESPM Rio
Support: Victor Palatnik
