WORD, ENCOUNTER, AND OTHERNESS: a bakhtinian perspective on the film Central Station and teacher training in LEEI

Abstract

This article analyzes the film Central Station (1998) in light of Bakhtinian concepts such as dialogism, polyphony, and otherness, focusing on its implications for teacher training within the National Program for Reading and Writing in Early Childhood Education (LEEI). The research follows a qualitative-interpretative approach, examining key scenes from the film—especially those involving letter writing and the evolving relationship between Dora and Josué—alongside autobiographical letters written by program participants. The analysis reveals how Dora’s ethical transformation demonstrates the power of responsive language in shaping subjectivity and pedagogical listening. The voices present in the film’s letters, diverse and socially marked, create a polyphonic discursive fabric that resonates with the teachers’ writings, reinforcing the word as a space of encounter, memory, and recognition. The discussion emphasizes the importance of active listening and responsivity in educational practices, aligned with the principles of Bakhtin’s Circle. The article concludes that both the film and the formative experience contribute to the construction of a dialogical and humanizing pedagogy, committed to the appreciation of otherness and the ethical-aesthetic function of language in building meaningful pedagogical relationships.