‘Lamarca’: Movie about Brazilian revolutionary sparks lively discussion

On a quiet Sunday afternoon in Los Angeles, folks chose to watch “Lamarca,” in a warm room, unintentionally replicating Brazil’s heat. “Lamarca” is a movie made in 1994 that depicts the true story of a Brazilian revolutionary who defected from the Brazilian army to fight against the regime. After the intense film, the viewers got up to chat and mingle. Then, a circle of chairs was made to facilitate a discussion. 

Organizers and agitated folks of various classes, age, and nations shared a space at the Harriet Tubman Center for Social Justice to answer the guiding questions: 

1. What is the role of women and other oppressed gender people in the revolution?
2. What were the conditions that would’ve made Carlos Lamarca and his comrades more successful?
3. How do we build towards sustainability in the movement?
4. What can we take from this movie into our organizing here in LA?

So much was shared, from personal life experiences to organizing successes and failures. All of these accounts and opinions capture the concerns of the left here in the imperial core: How do we build an un-psy-opable (some new terms were developed in this discussion) united movement? How do we engage with the masses? 

Though there weren’t clear answers, there were a lot of grounding ideas to work with, and some concrete proposals to pursue. For one, let’s talk to those in our lives. We should learn and be willing to engage with the struggles of the people. 

Linh Co is an organizer with LA MAS, Los Angeles Movement to Advance Socialism, the organization that put this event together.