Brazilian culture has gained a new digital showcase. President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva participated this Saturday in the launch of Tela Brasil, a free public streaming platform created by the Ministry of Culture to expand public access to national audiovisual content.
The initiative launches with over 500 titles, including films, documentaries, series, animations, short films, and children's content. According to the federal government, the catalog should reach nearly a thousand works in the coming months thanks to new cooperation agreements and the incorporation of productions from Empresa Brasil de Comunicação (EBC).
During the event, Lula stated that the project aims to strengthen Brazilian cultural identity and broaden the population's knowledge of its own history.
"The most important thing is for us to know our country from the inside, to know our culture, the reason for the things that led us to where we are today," the president declared.
The Chief Executive also criticized the predominance of foreign content in the audiovisual market and advocated for greater appreciation of national productions.
"It's very important for us to know our own people. It's very important that we are not strangers to each other," he stated.
Democratization of access
The Minister of Culture, Margareth Menezes, highlighted that the creation of the platform fulfills the goal of expanding access to cultural rights for the Brazilian population.
According to her, one of the main challenges in the audiovisual sector is precisely the distribution of works produced in the country.
“A free platform where the Brazilian people will be able to see themselves and do research. We will have a great diversity of production there, cartoons, award-winning films. It is the first step to strengthen our identity and the cultural sovereignty of our people,” he said.
Access to the platform will be through a Gov.br account. Initially, Tela Brasil will be available in a web version, with apps planned for the coming days.
Audiovisual enters the New Industry in Brazil
Another announcement made during the launch was the inclusion of audiovisual production in the goals of the New Industry Brazil program.
The Minister of Development, Industry, Trade and Services, Márcio Elias Rosa, reported that the sector already represents 0,6% of Brazil's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and generates more than 680 direct jobs.
The government's goal is to increase this share to 1% of GDP through financing lines, incentives for the regionalization of productions, and expansion of the international presence of Brazilian audiovisual content.
"The Brazilian audiovisual sector is part of the New Brazilian Industry. The goal is to increase its share from 0,6% to 1% of GDP," the minister stated.
Technology developed by a public university.
The platform was developed by the Ministry of Culture in partnership with the Federal University of Alagoas (UFAL). According to the project coordinators, the tool was built with national technology and includes accessibility features and preservation of audiovisual collections.
The government also signed an agreement between the Ministry of Culture and EBC to expand the availability of content. The partnership foresees the incorporation of thousands of hours of programming from TV Brasil, including documentaries, cultural programs, and original productions.
Lula defends culture as a state policy.
At the close of the event, Lula stated that initiatives like Tela Brasil need to be consolidated as permanent policies, regardless of changes in government.
"This cannot be government policy. It has to be state policy. Because if it's just government policy, anyone who comes in can take it away," he declared.
The president also advocated for strengthening cultural policies and highlighted that culture plays a fundamental role in shaping national identity, generating jobs, and contributing to the country's economic development.
With the launch of Tela Brasil, the government is betting on expanding the presence of national cinema and audiovisual content on Brazilian screens, offering free access to productions that portray the country's cultural diversity.
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