Mimetic isomorphism in Brazilian cinema: the US governance model and the frustration of the national film industry

Abstract

The idea of the industrialization of cinema in Brazil became a constant theme from the 1920s, both critics and directors. Discussions about what should be done and what would be Brazilian cinema par excellence always found the North American model as a reference. The attempt to follow such a model, however, did not make room for the adoption of other existing logics and governance structures that were not valued by the environment. From the institutional theories and the different governance structures of the organizations, we propose to examine the attempts of industrialization of Brazilian cinema between the 1920s and 1960s, identifying the legitimation practices of national cinema in the face of an artistic thought of what quality and above all, an institutionalized mimetism production model of the classic Hollywood model.