SCRIPT

Amazons

A report of The Polar Project - Jan De Deken and Thomas Ceulemans

Blue: subtitles Green: Voice-over Red: SVO

Intro

0007: Marta: Look, a plane. It’s spraying poison.

Jan: Look, a spray plane, are you getting out? 0026: He is watching us.

Thomas: We should get out of here. Jan: He really did come to watch.

Thomas: Okay, let’s go.

Jan: Curious who we’ll meet next.

0045: VO:

My name is Jan De Deken, foreign news journalist. I have embarked on a new project: The Polar Project. I want to visualize the causes and consequences of climate change, using real people and real stories. Since the first of January, Brazil has a new, far right president: Jair Bolsonaro. Bolsonaro is giving farming businesses and tree cutters the freedom to destroy the Brazilian ecosystem. His opponents claim this is dramatic for the environment, the climate and the indigenous communities.

Acampamento Terra Livre (Brasilia)

0121 Vox-pop 1:

They want to take our country. They intimidate us, so we’d give up our lands. But we have been fighting this. For a long time.

The government makes them feel stronger.

0139: Vox-pop 2:

The day Bolsonaro was elected, they set our school and medical post on fire.

We started to receive threatening letters. ‘We’re going to cut your throat, beat you up, kill your leaders.”

Archive Images

0200: Thank you, God! Brazil needs you! (subtitels by Terzake.)

Acampamento Terra Livre

0236: VO:

Every year, thousands of natives go to the capital Brasilia for Acampamento Terra Livre.This three-day long protest march has grown stronger since the newly formed government of Bolsonaro.

0249: To paint a picture of what Brazil looks like today, it’s a warzone. We are on the battlefield, if we are under attack,

we have to react, with weapons. And what are those weapons? The sounds of our maracas.

The strength of our heritage. The power of our ancestors, that have followed us here.

No more drops of native blood! No more drops of native blood! We will go to war!

0326: VO:

This is Sonia Guajajara. As chairman of the APIB, Brazil's Indigenous People Articulation, she is one of Brazil’s most powerful indigenous leaders.

0337: We will not retreat and surrender to a fascist policy that threatens our people and tries to prevent us from coming to Brasilia.

0349: That is why we are in Brasilia. To fight for the rights of Mother Earth. We always say:

You don’t negotiate about your mother. You don’t sell your mother.

You take care of your mother, you protect her.

We, native women, have always carried this responsibility, To protect.

Because we are mothers. We feel the earth.

0425: Indigenous women have always been a part of this battle. Inside the village, as well as outside the village. Now we are also increasing this participation of women in politics, in disputes. Because we are a here every day. Every impact, every relapse, we are the first to feel that impact.

0451: VO:

The biggest struggle of indigenous people is the definition of their habitats.

0457: We suffer mainly because there is a lack of marked territory in our country. I was only a child when I heard my dad talking about the border war. I am now 52, my daughter is 37, something like that.

And still our lands have not been clearly defined.

Local reserve Manoki, Mato Grosso

0523: VO:

Rosines is head of the indigenous village reserve Manoki, in the state of Mato Grosso. Her daughter Marta teaches at the local school and is also activist, just like Rosines.

(short break)

The Manoki too are facing intimidation since the elections of Bolsonaro.

0542: This waterfall is sacred for us. Unfortunately, the farmers don’t agree. About twenty days ago, they did this. They cut everything down. They came with big machinery. We are very worried. How far are they willing to go? What were they going to do? What point is there, in destroying everything as far as the riverbank? We don’t have any explanation, other than to provoke us. They want to make a statement, no one will punish them for this.

0630: VO:

The village leaders have come together to discuss their further actions against these recent threats. They fear that new hydroelectric power stations will be built along the river. Marta informs her fellow village members of their rights.

0643: We want to be informed. Because otherwise, we’ll sign their propositions without even knowing what they mean . According to the International Labor organization, we have to be consulted freely, in advance, and well informed.

0710:

-      How did the meeting go?

-      Good. The youth participated. That’s my goal. We want to form our children politically.

To defend our territorium, our rivers, the trees, our animals. We want to raise our children aware of this, so in the future they’ll take a stand, they’ll debate.

-

Terena-community, Mato Grosso de Sul

0751: Here with you, Sonja Guajajara! 0806: VO:

I am meeting Sonia Guajajara again, with the Terena people in Mato Grosso do Sul.

She is always traveling through Brazil, visiting indigenous communities, to keep them informed and therefore united.

0820:

-Sonia, you are being welcomed here as a star! Is this always the case?

-It is, that I can’t deny.

-      You’re kidding.

-      I don’t have to be modest, it’s the truth.

0845:

-      Good morning! How are you?

-      I’m good.

-      Did you sleep well?

-      Yes, I slept well.

0907:

-  Sonia, it’s important to talk about the APIB. About the need for strong representation of Terena-women. They always get left behind without references.

-      They need women to stand up, women they can look up to. We have made a lot of progress in the Amazon regions. Because of the representation of women. But it didn’t

happen without any objections. We forced our way in, and kept the pressure high. Today, it’s the women who are the leaders here in the Amazon.

The Amazon forest, Para

0955: We shall fight and resist. For we indigenous people, we have been resisting for 519 years. And if needed, we’ll do it much longer than that.

1012: VO:

This is Maura, one of the young leaders of the Arapium people, in the state of Para. She is a pharmaceutical student in Santarém. From here out, she fights for the marking of native territory in the Amazon forest.

1029: Here, you see forest, along the river. But behind that, there is a mining company. They export minerals. They deforest. In 2019, when we saw that the river was so polluted by the deforestation, to the extend that we couldn’t drink from it, the villages from Baixo Tapajos came together. We closed off the river with our canoes. We set fire to the piles of wood of those who didn’t want to stop. It was our way of expressing and demanding our rights.

1122: My dad doesn’t like us working here. He wanted us to study so we would have a better chance in life. He thinks we have to study so we don’t end up working in a garden. But I disagree. We can’t lose our connection with our crops, whether we study or not.

-Is everything ecological?

-Everything is ecological. 1150: VO:

Maura’s ecological fields are in contrast with the industrial agriculture around it. Of all the states in the Amazon regions, Para is the most effected by illegal deforestation, intensive cattle breeding and monocultures.

1206: This deforestation is recent, I think it’s from 7 or 8 months ago. They just harvested soy and planted corn.

1216:

SVO: Maria Munduruku.

-      For a stretch of thirty kilometers, you’ll only find corn.

-      No cut down forest?

-      Only cut down forest.

When they are spraying pesticide, we smell it all the way over there. The wind blows it this way. And the rain takes it down the stream of the river.

-  And that’s how it ends up at your houses?

-      Yes, in our houses, in our tapwater. They have investigated it many times. They told us it was polluted. I even did a blood test, and the result: polluted.

Federal University of Mato Grosso.

1302: VO:

Using blood, urine and breast milk samples, researchers of the Federal University of Mato Grosso show that for years there has been a correlation between pesticide use and serious health problems.

1314: The darkest parts on the map, indicate the highest concentration of use of pesticide. The triangles show the frequentie of the number of abnormalities in fetuses. The squares show the average infant death rate caused by cancer.

1336: VO:

Right after his election, the Boslonaro party legalized 86 new pesticides. According to Montanara, this decision will have disastrous consequences on the environment and the public health.

1349: We found residues of pesticides in breast milk and in multiple food products. In those food products, we found forty different kinds of pesticides, 11 of them are banned in the European Union.

1408: VO:

More and more people have to escape the poison. This farmer sees everything unfold in sorrow.

1414: Our neighbors have moved, they sold their land. We are left with the remains. The poison is making everyone sick. It’s making the animals sick: the dogs, the chickens, the pigs. They came to me and said I couldn’t do interviews, or tell anyone what I’m telling you now. But I am going to talk, and if they kill me for it, so be it.

-  Have they threatened you?

-  Something like that.

-To leave?

-To leave, to sell, but I won’t leave.

-What do they say?

-I can’t tell you.

-Is it too dangerous to talk about it?

-Yes, it’s dangerous. I want to stay here so talking about is would not be in my favor.

1504: VO:

Josénildo is head of the village. He paid a heavy price for his opposition to the soy farmers.

1511: My brother was murdered, last year on the twelfth of august. They killed my brother to hurt me. Because we don’t shy away from the confrontation that is trying to destroy us.

Indigenous territory Manoki, Mato Grosso

1533: VO

It is not only in the Amazon forest that more and more forest has to make way for agricultural land. Also in Cerrado, a savanna region bigger than West-Europe, is being threatened.

1547:

SVO: Martha Manoki

We used to hunt there, with our grandparents. But then they came and they cut everything down. There is no forest left. It is all agriculture. But it’s our land.

1612: VO:

With all eyes trained on the Amazon forest for decades, the lesser-known Cerrado was cut down at breakneck speed. The Cerrado vegetation contains large amounts of gases and waterresources, for that reason, this is crucial in keeping climate warming under controle.

University of Brasilia

1629

SVO: Rosangela Azevedo Correa – professor University of Brasilia

The Cerrado is a big waterreservoir. 8 of the 12 water basins originate in the Cerrado. They flow to the Amazone, the Pantanal, the caatinga, all the way to the pampa’s in the south of Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay. If the water of the Cerrado disappears, it won’t only have an impact on Brazil, but on all of South-America. This place is being destroyed for food for cows and meat for Europeans and North-Americans.

This had led to 52 procent of 2 million hectares savanne beging demolished.

1710: VO:

Second to China, the EU is Brazils most important trading partner. 41 procent of beef that entered the EU was imported from Brazil.

1721: Europe has to take a stand in the fight against the deforestation in Brazil. If you stop eating meat, we will have to change our systems. Not only the deforestation, but also the use of pesticide will have to change.

The Amazone, Para

1748:

SVO: Maura, Arapium

-      These are the ships that cary the soy. From here it goes to other countries.

-      Does it go directly to Europe, or do they pass other harbors?

-      They go directly to Europe, that’s why the ships are so big.

Acampamento Terra Livre, Brasilia

1811: The chocolate that you enjoy, the meat that you eat, the soy that you buy, your bag, your leather boots, it’s all smeared with indigenous blood. It’s up to you, as a consumer, if you want to be part of destroying indigenous rights. We’re planning a tour through Europe and the US to spread our report. We will once again ask economic embargoes to give us all the companies who import products and raw materials from countries where there is indigenous conflict.

Mato Grosso do Sul

18:59: VO:

In 2019 both forest cutting and violent conflicts reach a peak. This however didn’t stop the EU from making a trade agrement in June with Mercosur, the by Brazil nominated, South- American trade block. For Bolsonaro, this was his first international succes.

1918

SVO: Sonia Guajajara

He removed all measures to combat the effects of climate change. The EU acts as if this is fine. It should be a problem. They talk a lot about human rights and climate rights, the EU. Meanwhile our entire environmental policy is being dismembered, and they see no harm. That’s contradictory.

-       Is the battle for indigenous rights the same battle as for climate change?

-       It’s the same battle. What generates the most emissions in the world? Fossil fuel. But in

Brazil, it’s deforestation and fires. Marking and protecting indigenous territories, would decrease emissions.

-       The VN has also recognized the importance of the indigenous people, right?

-  Exactly, in the Paris agreement. The first thing Bolsonaro declared, was that he would be leaving the Paris Agreement. He also wanted to get rid of the activism in Brazil. This activism… My god, how wonderful, the rain! Film the sun and the rain! He can’t understand me.

-Impressive, right?

-Jan, tell him to film the sun and the rain.

But, to get back to my point, Jan, he wanted to stop the activism, terminate the Paris Agreement. We put a lot of pressure, even internationally, for example from China. They said if he didn’t abide by the rules of the climate agreement, they would cut all trading relations. So he kept following the rules. We’ve won some battles. It’s not easy for us, but it’s not easy for him either. We will keep the pressure high.

Indigenous territory Manoki, Mato Grosso

2203: VO:

Also Marta knows she has international allegiances. Tomorrow, she leaves for Germany, to raise awareness for the hydroelectric power stations that are threatening indigenous territories.

2231: I’m not only thinking of my mother and grandmother, but also of the battle that my grandfather started. He was the first to travel from our lands to speak with the government in Brasilia. It was the first time that a Manoki left the village. First, he went by horse. Then, he went by tractor, then by truck, until he arrived in Brasilia.

2310:

-       Are you willing to give your life for this battle?

-       Today, I say yes. It is a great honor for us to revolve our lives around protecting our territories. The intense spiritual connection that we share with nature, takes away all

fear. We will keep going, we will keep resisting.

‘People’s faces’ from Kate Tempest

Credits

A documentary by The Polar Project: Jan De Deken Thomas Ceulemans

voor No Man’s Land

A production from Esperas and Het Peloton.

Thanks to:

het Vlaams Journalistiek Fonds

de Europese Unie via Frame, Voice, Report