The vanguard as terrorism. A propaedeutic of guerrilla cinema

This article analyzes the artistic trajectory of the Portuguese filmmaker Edgar Pêra, with the aim of identifying elements in his career that align with the DIY practices and the Portuguese punk movement that emerged after 25 April 1974. While research in this field (both theoretical and empirical) has traditionally focused on music bands, this cinema's study seeks to contribute new perspectives on the specificities of the Portuguese context and on this life trajectory. The approach is based on primary data, intersected with previously published research by Guerra and Bennett. For Edgar Pêra, DIY strategies initially served a practical purpose (overcoming resource scarcity) but became embedded as an artistic manifesto that endured beyond professionalization. Four decades after his early ventures, and with an established career, Pêra continues to embody a restless spirit, embracing new techniques while remaining loyal to the habit of testing the boundaries between fiction and reality .