LIFE AND ART: the social importance of access to information and documents - a vision of Erin Brockovich’s case

Abstract

Taking inspiration from the film “Erin Brockovich”, based on a true story, and using it as a starting point, the work seeks to analyze the importance of access to information and documents as warranty of the citizens’ individual and collective rights. Among several obstacles that may create, disorganization of records is an important hindrance to their access, imposing limits on compliance with legislation, reinforcing the lack of transparency of States, and contributing to the maintenance of interests and the hegemony of influential groups that hold power. In that context, we highlight the example of Brazilian legislation, which emphasizes a standardization of documents of confidential nature in detriment to the access devices to information and documents. In synthesis, the questions raised in this work seek to foment reflection on the social instruments used by different groups that allow affirming that society, due to its lack of awareness of as its life depends on documents, also fails to recognize the importance of records and archivists.