La terra degli uomini rossi (Birdwatchers) by Italo-Chilean filmmaker Marco Bechis, born in Santiago del Cile from a Chilean mother and an Italian father, is in competition at 65th Venice Film Festival.
"Mato Grosso do Sul (Brazil), today. The fazenderos are leading their wealthy life in boredom. They have transgenic plantations that stretch as far as the eye can see and spend their evenings in the company of the Birdwatchers, tourists who have come to watch the birds. On the borders of their land, the malaise of the Indians is growing. Forced to live in reservations, the natives – the legitimate inhabitants of that land – lead a life with absolutely no future whatsoever; many of them, the young in particular, commit suicide. It is another suicide that sparks off the rebellion. Following the guidance of the leader Nadio and a shaman, a group of Indians sets up camp outside one of the properties to demand the restitution of their land. Two conflicting worlds thus confront one another. The metaphoric confrontation soon turns into a real conflict but, even during the hostilities, the two worlds do not stop studying one another. The young people in particular do not stop being curious “about the other”, not even during the fighting. It is this very curiosity that will give way to a profound relationship between Osvaldo, a young shaman apprentice and the daughter of a fazendero." (Synopsis taken from the Festival website)
* trailer (in Italian)
Asked about the problems met during the production, Bechis said to Barbara Corsi (Vivilcinema), “ Nobody wanted to make this film, because the characters are not Italians. The Italian culture does not recognize as its own, products that do not speak about Italy, but the geographical problem is a false problem. (…) We continue to think to live in the most beautiful place in the world, we [‘Italians’] exist now and in the future, but in this way, we will soon become a province. The true ‘made in Italy’ should be our view on the world.” [our translation]
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Interestingly, our blog share the same 'philosophy' declared by Bechis - we add news not only about a stereotyped Italy. For example, novels written by American writers, movies made by American directors, having a link to Italy.
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