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The Battle to Survive

When National Geographic is behind a documentary, you know it's going to be visually appealing. Alex Pritz, in his directorial debut, accomplishes something unusual with in a documentary. Most present a point of view that shows us a good guys versus bad guys scenario. In Pritz's "The Territory" there are two good guy groups that are both victims of a third party.

The good guys here are the indigenous Uru-eu-wau-wau People, who are involved in a dispute to keep their land against mostly poor citizens of Brazil who are attempting to start small farms and ranches.

The bad guy is Jair Bolsonaro, the Donald Trump of Brazil. During the film, Bolsonaro is elected as President of Brazil. Environmental activist Neidinha Bandeira cries when she hears the news on her radio. 

The Uru-eu-wau-wau People have lived in the Amazon rainforest for millenia, and their population used to number in the thousands. Because of genocide, fewer than 200 remain. They have been mostly ignored by the government and people of Brazil. Bolsonaro has actually called for their genocide.

Writer/director Darren Aronofsky served as a lead producer on "The Territory," and in that role he and Pritz partnered with members of the tribe to provide them with camera equipment, drones, technical training, and connectivity, all tools in their fight to survive. The film shows that they are making good use of the help they are getting.

Bandeira and the tribe's newly appointed 20-year-old leader Bitaté track, confront, and film the invaders on their land and burn down their very basic, newly constructed homes. They then send the film to any sympathetic media they can find.

During the making of "The Territory" one of Bitaté's best friends is found murdered by one of the "settlers". Earlier we had seen the two of them playing together in the water. His friend was always smiling. Viewers may have a grain of hope for the survival of the Uru-eu-wau-wau, but after watching "The Territory" they won't be smiling.