Past, present and future: multiple times in Augusto Boal's exile

Abstract

This article aims to investigate the exile of Latin American playwright Augusto Boal focusing in an experience of transit between three countries: Brazil, Argentina and Portugal. Boal's exile totaled fourteen years, consisting of five years in Argentina (1971-1975), two years in Portugal (1976-1977) and seven years in France (1978-1984). The time frame explored in this article is the period from 1974 to 1976, when he was living in Buenos Aires and trying to move to Lisbon. This choice stems from the interest in investigating the initial negotiations regarding his move to Lisbon and the legal battle he faced in Brazil to obtain a valid passport. From this short period of time, it is possible to observe the various times experienced by the director: the unwanted ties that kept him connected to Brazil as the past; the anxiety about the Argentinian situation that preceded the 1976 military coup as the present; the expectation of displacement to Portugal, a country that had experienced the Carnation Revolution and had a less hostile perspective for the future. Using the categories "space of experience" and "horizon of expectation" formulated by Reinhart Koselleck, we can unveil the experience of transit between countries through an exegesis of the times and spaces experienced by the director. The research was carried out through letters, interviews, autobiographies, official documents and newspapers.