“Save the rainforest” has been a constant refrain among environmental groups for the past half century, but it’s not as popular as “Territory,” Alex Preetz’s feature-length documentary debut that premiered earlier this year. No recent film successfully captures the immediacy of threat. at Sundance.
National Geographic Documentary Films acquired the rights to the film after it was shown, and given that distributors are now interested in grabbing thrillers (“Free Solo,” “Fire of Love”), the feature is a no-brainer. It comes as no surprise to cover the fierce competition between cattle in Brazil. Ranchers and Amazon rainforest indigenous groups fit right into that line-up. But “The Territory” is more than meets the eye, revealing its most profound observations step-by-step throughout its running time. The film’s luscious cinematography captures the sun-drenched jungle island of Uru Eu Wau Wau. The land is slowly consumed by fire, largely unaffected, as farmers and other settlers illegally deforest it for pasture.
The two opposing groups are given roughly the same amount of screen time, but Pritz makes no attempt to draw a false equivalence between the two. In fact, the more time spent with farmers, the more alarming the gap in their understanding of Uru Eu Wau Wau. A particularly zealous cattle rancher, to whom Prytz returns repeatedly, describes his settlement as a sacred right and laments the indigenous groups guarding their territories. They don’t work on the land, they just live there. “
Pretz heightens the danger with the story of Brazilian environmental activist Nadinha Bandeira. Nadinha Bandeira received death threats for her work. But after Ulu Yu Wow Wow chose to go deeper into their land, a decision brought on by both the violent tragedy and the looming threat of the Covid-19 pandemic, the film is set to stand on its own. The tribe’s young leader, Bitateh, is teaming up with other Ulu Yu Wow Wow members to install drones and additional cameras to record illegal settlers in his home. (When journalists demand that cameramen be sent into the jungle to track their guerrilla activity, Vitate says, “Send me a list of shots. I’ll cover it from here.”).
It’s a special kind of thrill to see the villagers take matters into their own hands, capturing evidence of an invasion on their land that the government has chosen to ignore.
territory
Rated PG. Running time: 1 hour 23 minutes. at the theater.