Estado Novo and Portuguese Cinema “O Pátio das Cantigas”

Abstract

The present article aims to conclude how cinema was used to maintain the collective imaginary that Salazar wanted to transform; how Portuguese comedies served both the interests of the state and their audience; and finally, through an analysis of Pátio das Cantigas (1942), to understand why the film emerges as a fundamental element in understanding Portuguese society at the time.