Indexing languages in cinematographic contexts: the experience of creating an Electronic Thesaurus of Brazilian Cinema

Abstract

The article describes the experience of creating an Electronic Thesaurus of Brazilian Cinema, which was developed to support the organization and the search of information generated in cinematographic contexts. The point of departure for this work is the realization of the fact that there are no specialized instruments available for the thematic organization of Brazilian cinematographic collections, as well as the increasing demand for specialized language on the part of renowned centers of memory and audiovisual reference in Brazil. The objective is to provide an indexation tool capable of representing not only the specific cinematographic collections thematically, but also the knowledge produced about Brazilian movies. For this, we determined procedures towards mapping the area thematically with the purpose of identifying the main concepts related to the area and its net of relationships. Studies were conducted based on the specific literature of the area, followed by a conceptual comparison based on the collection of films and publications housed by Ophicina Digital of the Department of Photography, Theater and Cinema of the School of Fine Arts - UFMG. With the help of available literature and the expertise of a Brazilian Cinema specialist who was part of the team of researchers, the article introduces the indexation tool. Fundamental principles of use and of literary warranty were used to verify the application of the tool to specific contexts. Pre-testing indexation testified to the specificity of the tool and evaluated its applicationin specific contexts. The result was the compilation of a thesaurus of 1040 terms organized in 34 specific facets