Persistent Silences - sources that do not speak, sources that speak but are not heard, sources that tell another story

Abstract

This article reflects on the practice of oral history based on a work experience with family photographic archives and with the collection of a series of interviews which aimed at gathering memories about the Portuguese dictatorship, the liberation wars from the old colonies and the revolutionary period from 1974 to 1975. The article highlights several central issues on the use of oral testimonies: the process of arranging and carrying out interviews, the meaning of silences, the importance of the interviewer´s listening ability, the mutability of the accounts in various contexts and the role of gender relationships in the making of testimonies.