Maria Gabriela Matos, known as Magabi Matos, is A 26 years old, is a black, Latin-American, Brazilian woman, filmmaker specializing in documentaries and photography. Additionally, she is a Youtuber with more than 4 thousand subscribers and 237,237 views.
About
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 Iemanjå 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 "SĂșplica," 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 SĂŁo Paulo and confronts daily instances of harassment suffered by women.
âPovoâ is an independent documentary web series, made by Magabi ProduçÔes and was recorded in Salvador-BA in 2023. There are three episodes with different characters who share a little of their experiences in this mystical city that is Salvador.
Episode 1 - THE PARTY OF IEMANJĂ
Script | Direction | Photography Direction | Editing MAGABI MATOS (Maria Gabriela Matos)
Production MAGABI PRODUĂĂES
Direct Sound DANILO JAHPA
Louças Finas Salgado is a documentary that tells the story of five artisans, residents of Fazenda Salgado, located in the municipality of Andorinha-BA. These women survive on handicrafts made with clay from Serra do Pinheiro. Louças Finas do Salgado is a reflection of the rich tradition and culture of the indigenous people, the âKaririsâ, who inhabited the region and used only their hands to make these beautiful utensils.
This is another one of my independent and authorial productions.
DIRECTION | PRODUCTION | PHOTOGRAPHY AND EDITING:
MARIA GABRIELA MATOS @magabimatos
"My Brazilian Heroines" is a series that I developed in 2020 for my YouTube channel, with the aim of covering the incredible stories of Brazilian women who over time had their memories erased and forgotten. This series aims to not only rescue the memory of these remarkable women, but also plays a crucial role in transforming and redefining female identity in the Brazilian context.
This link is from episode 5 about Dandara dos Palmares,
Script | General Management | Art Direction | Design | Editing: Magabi Matos
Illustrations: https://www.instagram.com/julianeres.designer
