Maria Gabriela Matos

Maria Gabriela Matos, better known as Magabi Matos (her artistic name), is a 26-year-old Black, Latin American, LGBTQIA+ woman. She graduated in journalism from the Federal University of Viçosa in 2020 and completed an intensive film course at the International Academy of Cinema in São Paulo in January 2024. Engaged in the fields of photography and audiovisual production since 2019, she spent the last four years residing in Salvador, the capital of Bahia, where she carried out the majority of her audiovisual projects. Her debut short film, "Canudos Resiste," delves into the history of the War of Canudos through contemporary memories. It was produced in 2019 as her final undergraduate project in Journalism. In 2020, she relocated from the state of Minas Gerais to Bahia, settling in Salvador, a city she had called home for the past four years, deepening her connection with her Bahian ancestry. Magabi's productions focus on Northeastern historiography, with a particular emphasis on the history of Bahia, highlighting the Brazilian Semi-Arid region as a significant social, environmental, and ecological subject. Within these overarching themes, she consistently aims to spotlight the women of these regions. Among her key research topics are the War of Canudos, July 2nd, and Brazilian Heroines, the latter resulting in a web series presented on her YouTube channel in 2020. In 2021, she independently produced, directed, and photographed the documentary short film "Louças Finas Salgado," depicting the story of a group of artisan women from Andorinhas-BA. In 2023, she produced and directed the documentary web series "Povo," filmed in Salvador-BA, which narrates the story of the celebration of Iemanjá and the daily lives of people living in Morro da Sereia in Salvador-BA. Lastly, during her time at the AIC film course, Magabi served as the director of photography for the fictional short film "Súplica," addressing the restriction of women's freedom of movement in the contemporary context. The story follows Lia, a girl from the countryside who moves alone to São Paulo and confronts daily instances of harassment suffered by women.