The Critical Room: Is decency back in the presidential palace in Brasília?

The pathos-fueled and legendary director Oliver Stone has created a captivating portrait of
Brazil's president. After some bleak years under former president Jair Bolsonaro, decency seems to have returned to the top of Brazilian politics, and we get to know a man who has stood firm after both imprisonment and personal tragedies. 

Directors Stone and Robert S. Wilson paint a picture of a man who gives hope for the future of Brazil and democracy in South America. Before the film, there will be a discussion about the situation in Brazil two years into Lula's third presidential term. Is there any truth in some of the accusations that have been leveled against him in the past? And not least, is Stone's film entirely truthful?

Panelists:

• Torkjell Leira is a social geographer and author. He has traveled, studied and worked in Brazil for a number of years and has written three books about Brazil and the Amazon. His latest book, ‘Kunsten å drepe et demokrati’, has been nominated for the NTNU Literature Prize 2024.
• Catarina Barbieri is a legal scholar with a Ph.D. in Law from the University of São Paulo. From 2008 to 2010, she served as a consultant and chief of staff at the Ministry of Justice’s Secretariat of Legislative Affairs during Lula’s administration. Her recent research examines the impact of electoral practices and regulations on women’s political participation. She currently resides in Oslo with her family and works for the Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO).
• Moderator: Kristin Skare Orgeret is a professor at the Department of Journalism and Media Studies at Oslomet. Her research includes media and conflict, freedom of expression, and the media's role in society.