Grades 9-12, College, Adult
Directed by Adrian Cowell
Produced by Adrian Cowell
DVD Purchase $79, Rent $45
US Release Date: 1990
Copyright Date: 1990
DVD ISBN: 1-59458-330-7
VHS ISBN: 1-56029-084-6
Subjects
Brazil
Developing World
Environment
Forests and Rainforests
History
Humanities
Indigenous Peoples
International Studies
Latin America
Politics
Awards and Festivals
Blue Ribbon, American Film & Video Festival
Gold Apple, National Educational Film & Video Festival
Special Jury Award, San Francisco International Film Festival
In the Ashes of the Forest
Part 1
Saga of two colonists in the Amazon rainforest.
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"Highly recommended, this is an outstanding choice." Video Rating Guide for Libraries |
The first film follows the saga of two colonists, Chico and Renato, and a never previously photographed Indian tribe, the Uru Eu Wau Wau. Renato is a landless peasant who has been lured into the rainforest with promises of free land and big harvests. He and his neighbors slash and burn the forest to clear the land, only to discover that the soil is so poor their crops will not grow. In retaliation for the settlers' incursions, the Indians kidnap Chico's 7-year-old son. As the little boy's family searches for the kidnappers, the government tries to make peace with the Indians. By the decade's end, the fate of Chico's boy is learned; an epidemic kills many of the Indians; the settlers' farms have failed; and more than 15% of the forest has been destroyed. Other titles in the series are:
In the Ashes of the Forest - Part 2 - Concludes the Amazon colonists' saga.
Killing for Land - Squatters face off against gunmen hired by absentee landlords in the Amazon.
Mountains of Gold - Gold mining in the Amazon is a dangerous and dirty business.
The Killing of Chico Mendes - The story of rainforest defender, Chico Mendes, that ended with his 1988 assassination.
Reviews
"Packed with information, this documentary sheds new light on the issue...Highly recommended, this is an outstanding choice."
Video Rating Guide for Libraries