The Territory

A war is raging deep in Brazil’s jungle. Settlers’ chainsaws voraciously eat away at the land occupied by the indigenous Uru-eu-wau-wau, a people whose existence is inextricably linked to the rainforest. With stunning visuals and a sure directorial hand, Alex Pritz uses key protagonists to lay out a local conflict that acquires universal significance in light of global warming. We meet the resolute Bitaté who, although still young, has been ordained the leader of the resistance to the invaders. Neidinha is an activist who refuses to be intimidated by death threats and has become Bitaté’s second mother. And on the other side are the settlers, who glorify their wild west-style predatory behaviour as the act of pioneers at the edges of civilization. The Uru-eu-wau-wau are fighting a fierce battle for survival against both them and government indifference. Their most powerful weapon is a camera; they know that this face-off cannot be won without media attention.