Production debated in Californian universities and wins another prize
The documentary Beyond Fordlândia paid an important visit to the states of California and Illinois, in the United States. In the midst of a worldwide agenda of events, the film was presented and debated on the campuses of the University of California in San Diego, Santa Barbara and Davis.
“The documentary eloquently presents the consequences of the intensive practice of extractivism, implicitly comparing, in the same vein, the failed project of Henry Ford with today's intensive soy production in the same region — while demonstrating their differences”, commented professor Ricardo Vasconcelos of San Diego State University .
Vasconcelos added that the film also served as a rich source of contemporaneous information on the Amazon for the public, considering the critical moment of economic pressure suffered by the forest.
Daniel Ares-Lopez, another professor of the institution, highlighted how flabbergasted those present were in relation to the Amazonian panorama presented in the film.
“During the debate we observed that the public had been genuinely affected by the film. Many students showed their concern regarding the relationship between American agro-industrial corporations and the socio-environmental destruction of the Amazon”, recalled Ares-Lopez.
New prize
Outside the academic environment, the production was also screened at the 10th Geneva Film Festival and the Peace on Earth Film Festival. Geneva was the stage for another conquest - the prize for “Emerging Documentary Filmmaker,” the fifth prize for the film in just a few months! With the powerful narrative it presents, the film has guaranteed recognition and visibility for the Amazonian cause.
Peace On Earth, which is dedicated to ecological, cultural and political approaches and themes, presented a discussion with the directors and creators of the films. The neurosurgeon, Erik Jennings, who is among the cast of Beyond Fordlândia, presented some of the work developed in the Amazon and his reflections on the panorama of the region.
“The film proved to be a genuinely strong and moving voice at the Peace On Earth Festival. An Amazonian voice that director Marcos Colón has brought to the world with a great deal of courage and competence. At the heart of the issue is human suffering, prematurely silenced by the disease or by some form of violence ”, reported Jennings.
The exhibition circuit continues! Follow the dates in our diary and participate in the movement of Raise Your Voice for the Amazon!