‘The Territory’ follows the plight of the indigenous Uru-Eu-Wau-Wau people native to the Amazon rainforest as they fight for their homeland that is being illegally deforested by farmers, loggers, and miners. Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro has encouraged mining and agriculture on these lands, offering credits to native farmers for their losses.
But what happens if the “lungs of the planet” disappear? The Uru-Eu-Wau-Wau people risk their lives to protect not only their territory, but other indigenous tribes in the region, including uncontacted populations. Director Alex Pritz provides balance with a ‘both sides’ approach to filming, giving viewers a glimpse into the occupying farmers’ own frustrations and the dangers of destructive political rhetoric.
Below is the video review by blackfilm.com correspondent Koku Tona.
The Territory has been purchased by National Geographic Documentary Films.
THE TERRITORY
The Indigenous Uru-eu-wau-wau people have seen their population dwindle and their culture threatened since coming into contact with non-Native Brazilians. Though promised dominion over their own rainforest territory, they have faced illegal incursions from environmentally destructive logging and mining, and, most recently, land-grabbing invasions spurred on by right-wing politicians like President Jair Bolsonaro. With deforestation escalating as a result, the stakes have become global.
With unprecedented access, and co-produced by the Uru-eu-wau-wau community, The Territory drops the audience into the center of this conflict. Young Indigenous leaders like Bitate and Ari, along with their mentor, environmental activist Neidinha, risk their very lives to defend the rainforest. On the other side, Sergio leads an association of indigent farmers eager to establish a settlement, while others like Martin, impatient and entitled, strike out on their own, clear-cutting the forest to establish a homestead. With the government unwilling to stop this brazen encroachment, the Uru-eu-wau-wau set up their own media team, using technology to expose the truth and fight back.
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