Photo: Monika Davies
BIOGRAPHY
As a filmmaker, director and editor, I have been involved in several commercial and independent projects ranging from creative non-fiction to scripted film and television series. My previous credits include commissions from the Scottish Documentary Institute (Headland, 13min, 2024) and Centre Video de Bruxelles (Newcomers, 15min, 2013). I am a Berlinale Talents alumna, and my work has been screened at international festivals such as Big Sky, Edinburgh, Curta Kinoforum, Tiradentes and Rio de Janeiro Int'l Film Festival.
Before joining the University of Edinburgh to research for a PhD by Practice in Film at the Edinburgh College of Art, I graduated from Kino Eyes Film Masters on an Erasmus Mundus scholarship, and mobility to three European universities: Screen Academy Scotland (UK), Baltic Film School (Estonia) and Lusofona University (Portugal). Prior to this, I worked for over six years as an in-house video editor at TV Globo, one of the largest commercial television networks globally.
My main areas of research and teaching are creative non-fiction, migrant and refugee films, decolonising practices, and border aesthetics in contemporary cinema. My most recent publication, the research paper A Camera in the Water: Reframing the Migrant Image in Documentary Film, has been published in Screen Journal.
Collaboration is at the core of my creative process. I believe that bringing together diverse perspectives leads to thoughtful and innovative ideas. For me, filmmaking is as much about creating a carefully crafted final piece as it is about engaging in an enjoyable and meaningful process. Whether on set, in the editing room, teaching at university, or conducting academic research, I strive to create an inclusive and open environment that encourages sharing and experimentation.
I approach each project with a genuine passion for storytelling, shaped by the diverse intercultural experiences I’ve encountered throughout my life and career.
SELECTED FILM AND TV PROJECTS
Headland (Director), 2024, UK, Documentary (Creative), 13min
Thread (Editor), UK/Brazil, In Post-Production, Documentary (Creative), Approx. 85min
Three Graces (Editor), 2021, Brazil, Drama, 20min
Faux Detective (Editor), 2019, Estonia, Drama, 6min
Albergue Carioca (Editor), 2014, Brazil, Doc-Reality Television/Discovery TLC, 16 Episodes x 45min
Newcomers (Director), 2013, Belgium, Documentary, 15min
Sparkling Girls (Editor), 2012, Brazil, Television, Globo Studios, 10 Episodes x 45min
The Life We Lead (Editor), 2011, Brazil, Television, Globo Studios, 18 Episodes x 45min
EDUCATION
PhD by Practice in Film (part-time), 2021–Present
Edinburgh College of Art, University of Edinburgh
Edinburgh College of Art, University of Edinburgh
MA in Film Editing – Kino Eyes Erasmus Film Masters, 2018–2020
Screen Academy Scotland (UK), Baltic Film School (Estonia), Lusófona University (Portugal)
Screen Academy Scotland (UK), Baltic Film School (Estonia), Lusófona University (Portugal)
PUBLICATIONS
Duarte, Mariana. A Camera in the Water: Reframing the Migrant Image in Documentary Film, Screen, Volume 65, Issue 2, Summer 2024, Pages 212–232. Read here
RESEARCH INTERESTS
Creative non-fiction, migrant and refugee cinema, visual anthropology, border aesthetics, decolonising practices, travelling, displacement and movement in film.
PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS
LANGUAGES
Portuguese (Native)
English (Fluent)
Italian (Intermediate)