“Conta-me como foi” e a (re)mediação da memória histórica

: dos conteúdos à receção

Abstract

Fiction has proven to be a powerful vehicle for historical narratives. Beyond its role in the preservation of history, fiction reinterprets and remediates it into audiovisual products. This study focuses on the RTP 1 series “Conta-me Como Foi” specifically its 6th, 7th, and 8th seasons, which portray the post-April 25th period. The core of this investigation is the role of television fiction in historical mediation, with a particular emphasis on how these seasons of “Conta-me Como Foi” contribute to the reconstruction of viewers' historical memory concerning the post-April 25th period in Portugal. Thus, this study is guided by the following research questions: How is the post-April 25th historical period represented in the 6th, 7th, and 8th seasons of RTP 1’s “Conta-me Como Foi”? And How has the series “Conta-me Como Foi” contributed to the reconstruction of historical memory regarding the post-April 25th period? A mixed-method approach was employed, combining quantitative content analysis techniques with semistructured interviews. The content analysis covered all 52 episodes of the 6th, 7th, and 8th seasons of RTP 1’s “Conta-me Como Foi” while interviews were conducted with 10 viewers of the series, five of whom lived through the period depicted and five who did not. The results revealed that the portrayal of the post-April 25th period in the 6th, 7th, and 8th seasons of “Conta-me Como Foi” was exclusively focused on the years between 1984 and 1987. It is important to note that all episodes contributed to representing this period, with most episodes addressing three historical-social events of the time. Television emerged as a medium that played a significant role in the remediation of history. Regarding the series’ contribution to the reconstruction of historical memory of the post-April 25th period, those who lived through it highlighted the revisitation of history, while those who did not experience the era attributed a significant role to the series in their understanding of this historical period.

Date of Award	10 Feb 2025
Original language	Portuguese
Awarding Institution	Universidade Católica Portuguesa
Supervisor	Catarina Valdigem (Supervisor)