New Documentary 'The Territory' Chronicles Indigenous Land Defenders' Fight to Protect the Amazon

[Judi Lynn]

A still from The Territory by Alex Pritz, an official selection of the World Cinema: Documentary Competition at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival. (Photo: Screengrab/The Territory)


Using footage shot by the Uru-ea-wau-wau people, 'The Territory' is an up close look at the struggle to defend the Amazon from illegal settlers and loggers.
SARA HERSCHANDER

August 22, 2022 by Waging Nonviolence

As Brazil's presidential campaign kicks off this week, "The Territory"—a new film created in collaboration with the Uru-ea-wau-wau people of Brazil—documents the urgency and beauty of Indigenous land defenders' fight to resist settler encroachment in the Amazon.

Looming large over "The Territory," directed by Alex Pritz and opening in theaters today, is Brazil's far-right president, Jair Bolsonaro, whose election in 2019 emboldened illegal loggers and farmers in their ambitions to exploit Indigenous territory. Since coming to power, Bolsonaro has undermined the agencies tasked with protecting Indigenous land and cut back on environmental protections of the Amazon in favor of commercial interests.

"This is how Brazil was created, and many other countries too," says one settler interviewed in the film, who wistfully invokes God, country and competition to justify encroachment. "People are coming to claim their land. And if you don't claim it, someone else will."

While the film includes footage of loggers, illegal settlers and farmers seeking to exploit protected land in the Amazon, its heart lies firmly in the Uru-ea-wau-wau people, who live in the Jamari village in the Brazilian state of Rondônia. A special focus is given to the group's charismatic young leader, Bitaté, and environmental activist Neidinha Bandeira, who has been working with the Uru-ea-wau-wau for decades to protect their land.

When COVID-19 spread to Brazil during the documentary's production, Bitaté, who is also a writer and photographer, banned outsiders from the territory, including the filmmakers. He and other villagers, however, offered to shoot the documentary footage themselves. The Uru-ea-wau-wau soon gained local media traction for videos they shared of their campaigns and patrols to defend their land.

More:
https://www.commondreams.org/views/2022/08/22/new-documentary-territory-chronicles-indigenous-land-defenders-fight-protect-amazon

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 License.

[Judi Lynn]

1. Trailer:

"They all call it home."

??????

Only the native Brazilians are telling the truth.

[Judi Lynn]

2. "The Territory": New Film Documents Indigenous Fight Against Illegal Deforestation in Amazon

41,654 views Aug 18, 2022

Democracy Now!

Amy speaks with the filmmaker and two indigenous Brazilians from the area involved. This is excellent. Hope you have time to check it out.