The Territory (2022) - full transcript

Go for it.

Just go!

We'll go after you.

Twenty-seven...

...28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34...

Thirty-four seconds.

All right, I'll go.

Twenty-eight, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33,

34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39,

40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45.

My God!



Forty-five seconds.

Forty-five.
That's crazy.

Final score, 34 to 45.

What do you want?

Give me your foot.

Don't do that, man!

So, when's your birthday?

It's really this Sunday?

BITATÉ: Nobody tells me anything.

BITATÉ, IN PORTUGUESE: These days,

there are about 180 Uru-eu-wau-wau.

We're growing a little.

- It's going to break.
- No, it won't.

Ah.



BITATÉ: Non-Indigenous
people always say the same things.

"Indigenous people have too much land,"
blah blah blah.

"You need to clear the trees
and raise cattle,"

but I don't agree.

This forest and its rivers are our home.
They support us.

BITATÉ: Are you crazy?
Why did you let go of the rope!

This guy is nuts!

Walk this way, Neidinha.

- Are you tired?
- No, I just stubbed my toe.

Oh, no.

BITATÉ: I've known Neidinha
since I was born.

She's been willing to risk her life
alongside us Indigenous people.

I consider her like a second mother.

Let's get this drone up, Bitaté.

It's all deforested.

Everything's gone.

It's so ugly.

Dragons eat the forest
Now nothing will grow

And those who live within it
Where can they go?

If this forest had feet
I'll tell you what

It would've run, my friend
Before the trees were cut

If I'm elected...

...NGOs won't get any money.

Every citizen will have a firearm
in the house.

There won't be one more inch
of Indigenous reserve.

There's much
you don't know, Bitaté.

You have to learn how things used to be.

During first contact,
they approached us offering gifts.

Pots and pans, things like that.

If that hadn't happened,
we wouldn't be here,

living in the midst of these White people.

I spent the first half
of my life in the forest.

You could walk forever
and only find trees.

BITATÉ’S GRANDFATHER:
My father was a shaman.

BITATÉ’S GRANDFATHER:
One night, he had a nightmare.

BITATÉ’S GRANDFATHER: He warned us
of the outsiders.

BITATÉ’S GRANDFATHER: After contact,
they brought diseases.

More than half our people died.

There's a group of us
the White people never reached.

They're still uncontacted,
living deep in this forest.

Grandpa, do you ever worry
about our people disappearing?

Of course, I'm scared of that.

I tell young people how things used to be,

but not everybody will listen.

I want to listen.

It's up to the next generation now.

FEMALE VOICE, IN PORTUGUESE:
We begin today with the elections.

Presidential candidate
Jair Bolsonaro remains in the lead.

We are seeing invasions

on protected lands,

and the assassination
of Indigenous people.

Indigenous leaders claim
that this wave of attacks

is being incited
by Bolsonaro's hateful rhetoric.

SÉRGIO: For those who live here,
the Brazilian dream

is to own some land,
and make your living from it.

I'm 49 years old,

and I've spent my whole life
working other people's land.

SÉRGIO: I've always said
someday I'll get my own.

Dig that one first.

SÉRGIO: I can't stop drinking water.

This heat could kill you.

We just sat down
and already have to get up.

It's different in the forest.

It's cooler there.

The forest isn't like this.

SÉRGIO: When you feel
the suffering around you,

you begin to realize what needs to change.

The Uru-eu-wau-wau.

They don't farm or create anything.

They just live there.

So, I think it's poorly divided.

Mom, did you set the table?

The table is almost ready.

I always get scared
when my mom goes to the villages.

All I can ask is for her to be careful.

I know it's her life's work,
but I'm constantly worried.

Hmm.

Sometimes I don't even think she realizes.

Hmm.

She's always driving
through logger towns,

where she isn't welcome.

When she's running late
and we don't hear from her,

I'm left thinking the worst.

I don't live with fear.

The only thing I'm scared of
is something happening to my kids.

But I'm not scared of loggers,
or land grabbers.

- I'm not scared of jaguars.
- But you should be.

You should be more careful.

I'm serious.

We've just received news
that Jair Bolsonaro

has been elected President of Brazil.

Congratulations to the President Elect of Brazil.

Democratically elected
by millions of Brazilians,

with a significant lead.

- Bolsonaro!
- Bolsonaro!

They call this the border
of the protected forest.

It makes me sick knowing
we're considered criminals,

like we're the ones hurting the country.

Every road in Brazil
was created like this.

First with a chainsaw, then a tractor.

Eventually the government will support us,

but only after we've done
the initial work.

This is how Brazil was created,
and many other countries too.

Look at this deforestation.

They want me to call them now.

- It's Ari.
- There's been an invasion.

We're leaving the village now
to see what's happening.

Ari,

for God's sake, don't do anything
that will put your life in danger.

Don't go there alone,

because you don't know
how many people are there.

You have to be careful with your life.

My love, I have to leave
for the Uru-eu-wau-wau.

- Okay.
- Okay, darling. I love you.

I love you. Be careful, Mom.

Your mother is always careful.

The Bolsonaro government

is giving the impression

that anyone can invade Indigenous land
and kick the Indians out,

because now you're protected
by the government.

Can you hear me?

Yes,
there's an invasion at Uru-eu-wau-wau.

Yes,
an invasion of land thieves.

Can you at least send people to inspect?

Inspect what?

Go and fight the loggers?
Fight the invaders?

There's nothing I can do.

We have no resources.
No one knows anything.

The Indigenous Affairs agency
is like shit in the water.

Yes.

Call everyone over here.

Mmm.

Alive, you see?

That's the most important thing.

Let's go, Ari.

There are traces of people
and motorcycles.

Someone must have warned them
we were coming.

They won't attack now.

- Uh-huh.
- They're waiting

for the right moment to come back.

They have left for now,
but this isn't over.

We have to be ready when they come back.

The Indigenous Uru-eu-wau-wau territory

was targeted by a new invasion.

The risk of a conflict
between invaders and the Indigenous,

worries this environmentalist.

The risk of all this,
is that people could die.

There could be death on either side.

Indigenous people could die,
and so could the invaders.

Unfortunately, the government

is not protecting the territory,
which is their responsibility.

SÉRGIO: Around here,
it's like an old Western movie.

There's a group of pioneers
that lead the way,

then others come to settle the land.

When I first arrived here,
people were just saying,

"Oh, this land is mine."

I said, "Let's start an association
so we can get some documents."

That's how Rio Bonito began.

Our association
has to fight for the land...

which they're saying is Uru-eu-wau-wau.

The Promised Land,
that's what people are calling it.

My dream is about to come true.

SÉRGIO: This square is my land.

If we spread them out,

we can fit more than
a thousand families here.

We'll plant some crops...

to move our Brazil forwards.

BITATÉ: Because this government
keeps emboldening the invaders,

the elders decided that it's time
for me to become our leader.

BITATÉ: I tried to wait,
but the elders had the final decision,

so I had to accept.

BITATÉ: I want to work with Ari
to improve our surveillance team.

I really look up to him.

Taking on a big responsibility like this,

I'm scared of disappointing people.

I'm 18 years old, almost 19.

BITATÉ: The only thing saving our planet
is our rainforest.

I read that if it is all cut down,

we could see five degrees
of temperature rise.

That would ruin the planet.

I believe the Amazon is the heart

not just of Brazil, but the whole world.

How many animals die
in these fires?

We don't have a number.

How many trees do we lose
that could hold a cure to a disease?

Nobody knows.

They burn without thinking.

Protecting the Uru-eu-wau-wau
is beyond a shadow of a doubt

how we will save the Amazon.

The Uru-eu-wau-wau territory
is like a barrier against deforestation.

If the Uru-eu-wau-wau is cut down,
we will lose the rest of the rainforest.

This is the Association's home base.

In a few years,
we'll have a huge city here.

God has blessed us.

The invaders
are using this wood

to create the base for their Association,

the Association
of Rural Producers of Rio Bonito,

within Indigenous territory.

The Association
of Rural Producers

of Rio Bonito, founded in 2018.

Many people go there
to deforest and plant crops.

Are you also lighting fires?

Sure, you have to burn
to clear the forest.

And how do you avoid authorities?

Ah, no one can control us.

Only God can control this.

Lord, we ask you to guide these men.

We ask for wisdom
for our Association leaders,

so they can bring improvements
for the people, oh Lord.

- In Jesus's name. Amen.
- Amen.

Sérgio, the President
of the Association, will speak now.

Hello, everybody.
Ninety percent of you already know me.

I'm always trying
to organize local farmers.

I've been part of the leadership
of this Association.

In Rondônia,
wealthy landowners dominate everything.

I'm taking on this fight,
but I know it's a risk.

Our Association is registered
and follows the law.

We just have to survey
and document our land.

Thank you all for your attention.

SÉRGIO: It's great to be president
of the Association.

The good comes with the bad.

Things are getting serious now.

I know there's some people
already out there,

but the judge will only give us access
if we survey the area first.

Mm-hmm.

I'm just waiting
until the lawyer speaks with the judge

and we can liberate the land.

We're doing everything by the books,
so in the end it's all going to work out.

Even though we burned here,
it's still good.

This is a pink cedar tree.

I'm leaving it here because I'm going
to build the roof of my house with it.

We make the planks from it.
I don't think you've heard about it.

If you come back in October,
it'll probably be ready.

As long as the government
doesn't let us live here

with our families, we won't give up.

If they arrest you,
you have to pause because you're in jail,

but as soon as they release us,
we're back.

Because I consider this land mine,
you know?

And if it is mine, I have to work on it,
build on it.

The Association
is trying to get organized,

but I can't wait for them.

They won't enter until it's legalized.

Many people believe
in the Association.

I only trust what I can do myself.

Working, planting...

trying to survive from here.
But the Association...

I don't believe in it.

You should ask
the traditional elder to speak first.

I think I will begin,
then ask him to speak next.

No. Respect your elders,
and the house we are in.

You should start the meeting

by asking the elders
from each village to speak first.

BITATÉ: Good morning everyone.

Let's begin with our elder speaking.

ELDER, IN KAWAHIB:
I want to protect our land.

Everyone is screaming,
"Let's go there and invade!"

They just want money.

That's all it is.

They tell us not to hurt anybody,

then they trample us
and take our lands by force.

How can we live like this?

We won't survive.

BITATÉ: That's why we're here to talk

and maybe write a letter
to the authorities.

We can't afford
to just keep talking and talking.

Things are getting worse, we need to act.

I'm going to get my arrows
and send them home.

I can't accept this.

Our ancestors were born from this land.

Now the White people want more,
and they're winning.

At this rate, we'll all be
living in the city.

They are right in front of us.

I hear a lot of us talking
about killing White people.

It's not worth killing them.
It won't help.

In the past, we used to have wars.

Things have changed.

Bolsonaro only puts his friends in power.

We don't have a single politician
supporting us,

but the invaders have support.

If we kill an outsider,
they will not kill one of us.

They will kill all of us.

For a long time,
I thought the way to fight invasions...

was for the police to go
and arrest the invaders.

I'm realizing it doesn't work anymore.

The police don't help us.

We have to think of new strategies.

This here is the Uru-eu-wau-wau territory.

When did these problems
in Indigenous areas start?

These are very old problems
that have just gotten worse.

The process goes like this,

- they send small farmers in first.
- Mm-hmm.

They say they're taking land
because they're poor...

but there are wealthy landowners
financing these settlers,

and eventually the big landowners
take over.

Thanks so much,
we'll stay in touch.

Mmm.

Nice.

There's only frosting left!

We tried saving you a piece
but you know how it is.

Mom, they have guns.

Tell them to let me go, please, Mom.

Look, I don't know who you are,

but I was just with my daughter.

It's me, Mom, help!

Go to hell.

Gabriel, call her now.

Are you calling her?

I need to find her right now.

Your provider informs,
the cellphone you called is turned off

or is outside the coverage area.

Damn it, she's not answering.

She's not responding,
I'm going to find her.

Be careful.
Don't leave the doors open.

This can't be possible.

Kim?

What's going on?

They said they had you.

They said they'd kidnapped you.

I love you.

If you're facing death threats,

when one of us calls,
you need to pick up immediately.

I didn't know, it never rang.

Time for some lunch?

SÉRGIO: Every Sunday, people stop by.

People want to know how things are going.

Everyone is desperate
to get into the land.

I know we're missing
the planting season,

but we can't have people
going there right now.

If they get caught, the authorities
will blame the Association.

It's playing with fire.

Their land is so huge anyways.

There's so few Indians,
why would they come our direction?

Their land is so big
they can't even walk it.

I've never seen Indians there.

- Have you, Pedro?
- No.

People say they're there,
but I've never seen them.

It's just talk.

- What type of wood is that?
- That's cedar.

Pink cedar?

We are building an example for people now,

but also for people
20 or 30 years from now.

Whoever is Catholic
can have a Catholic church.

The Evangelicals can have theirs too.

With or without a road,
by August I'm moving my family here.

But a road is the next step
to improve things.

It's all coming.

As the Bible says,

people are meant
to take the land and multiply.

We just want what we deserve,
nothing more.

Just like everybody else.

I believe we're on the edge of victory.

There could be some arrests or something,
but we're almost there.

People are coming to claim their land.

And if you don't claim it,
someone else will.

If you don't mark your spot,
someone else will.

I think lots of people are considering
moving out here,

those who really need it.
Like me, I need it so I'm here.

I can't be living hidden
in the forest like an Indian.

I've got to open up my land.

I've always believed
one day this would be mine,

and today I believe it's mine.

Today I have faith this land is mine.

We just heard invaders are coming in
and out of the territory now.

Have you heard
the latest message

from Indigenous Affairs?

This business
of making up invasions

is very complicated.
I think this is all being made up.

We have to go film them.

We need a police escort,
we can't go alone.

The government won't respond
unless there's proof.

So, the motorcycle was here,
but where was the body?

Okay,
I can see it on the grass.

There's blood here.

It's clear
it was no accident.

We begin with news
about an Uru-eu-wau-wau man

who was found dead
on the side of the road.

Ari Uru-eu-wau-wau,
who was 33 years old

was found dead this morning.

The case has been classified
as a homicide.

We don't take other people's land.

We respect everyone's lives and rights.

The Indigenous guys told me

it looks like he was beaten
on the head and chin.

I'm sorry.

I completely understand.
You were very close to him.

I've known him since he was born.

Thank you for all your help.

Ari was a guardian
of the forest.

He was a forest protector...

and he died for it.

In the name of agrobusiness
and the economy,

they kill the forest
and those who defend it.

Dragons eat the forest
Now nothing will grow

And those who live within it
Where can they go?

Forest-dwellers, rubber-tappers

Sloths, anteaters, and turtles too

Running for their lives
But what can they do?

BITATÉ: Good morning.

BITATÉ: Where is everybody?

BITATÉ: Ari's murder has been a huge loss.

I believe we're honoring him
by continuing his work,

protecting his land and his village.

The other day, we used this
to find some invaders.

BITATÉ: As leader of the Uru-eu-wau-wau,

my role is to bring connectivity
to the villages.

Are you paying attention?

You never listen!

You must be getting old.

BITATÉ: The Association
of Rio Bonito says they want our land,

but I think they want more than that.

They want us to disappear,
including the uncontacted.

We're not going to let that happen.

I am insisting
to the Indigenous Affairs agency

that if these invaders keep entering,
they will infect the Indigenous people.

For the past 15 days,
I've been trying to get medicine for them,

- but I wasn't able to.
- What happened?

They all died of COVID.

In twenty days, ten Cinta-Larga
Indigenous people

died of COVID.

You know what that means?

That's five percent
of the Cinta-Larga people.

Today, the Uru-eu-wau-wau
are surrounded by invaders.

They're threatening the villages,
burning, cutting down trees,

bringing coronavirus near the villages.

It's a whole series of pressures,

and the whole community
is really vulnerable right now.

The Uru-eu-wau-wau have
a small population.

If they get COVID,

it would be like a genocide for them.

BITATÉ: I spoke to the elders
and we decided to close off our territory.

BITATÉ: Today we're heading
deep into our land.

Because of COVID,
we're creating our own media team.

Okay, say something!

I don't know what to say!

BITATÉ: What do you expect
from the mission?

I think it's going to go well.
We have to show that...

Oh, I have to look that way.

But why?

BITATÉ: What are you expecting
for tomorrow?

I want to learn more about our land,

and hear the stories of our elders.

BITATÉ: A week ago, a journalist called me

asking if he could send a video team
to the village.

I told him no need,
we have all the equipment here.

We can film it for you.

We'll record it ourselves,
you can pay us directly.

Just send us your shot list,
we've got it from there.

BITATÉ: Let's go.

BITATÉ: Behind the scenes.

This is the making of.

It looks like
they brought a horse through here.

Like I've said before,
the government isn't doing its job.

That's our reality, they're not.

We're doing their work for them.

We have the best weapons available today,

and we're reclaiming
the struggle of our elders.

We're experiencing
the same things they did...

but they didn't have any of this.

It was only their word,
and no one believed them.

These are their markings.

They specify which direction
they will begin cutting.

They've cut a lot of trails through here.

BITATÉ: It's smokey.
Maybe they burned some brush.

BITATÉ: Bust it. Go ahead. Let me in.

BITATÉ: As we can see, we're in this area.

These are the coordinates.

We're clearly inside Indigenous territory.

I think there's somebody up ahead.

Go, go!

- BITATÉ: You're under arrest.
- Uh-huh.

BITATÉ: We're not going to hurt you
or do anything to you.

- We have these bows and arrows...
- Okay.

- ...as part of our monitoring work.
- Uh-huh.

Can I check your backpack?

Everyone knows this is Indigenous land.

Who sent you?

This is my first time,
no one told me this was Indigenous land.

I have some bullets in the bag.

BITATÉ: Once this goes in,
it doesn't come out.

I'm just warning you.

If you try any funny stuff we will use it.

We don't want to do that.
Not for you, and not for us.

BITATÉ: Did you understand that, sir?

We're giving you this mask
to protect ourselves from COVID.

We don't know what diseases you have.

Who's got the sanitizer?

Show me your hands, please.

Let's go. Everyone stay alert.

Due to a lack of trust in the authorities,

Indians in Rondônia have formed patrols
to protect their land against invaders.

Where narrow trails make it hard to reach,

it is possible to see from above.

Drones have become an important tool

for surveillance
in the Uru-eu-wau-wau territory.

The Indigenous have arrested around
30 invaders within their territory.

They also burned down an invaders' camp.

Do you see us breaking
into your house?

So, why are you invading our area?

Bitaté is only twenty years old,
but under his leadership

the community has set up a patrol team
to catch the invaders.

We're going now
to Bitaté Uru-eu-wau-wau.

He is the president and leader
of the Uru-eu-wau-wau.

Indians from the Uru-eu-wau-wau

are destroying a raft they found
in their territory.

I can't believe you're still filming!

SÉRGIO: Don't slip,
you'll spill the pesticides.

The news coverage about Rio Bonito
affected us a lot.

The politicians were helping us
because we were strong.

They scratch my back, I scratch theirs.

But due to the media,
politicians are afraid to help us.

It could dirty their name.

One or two people are out there
clearing land,

so you prosecute everybody?

In my mind, the law is totally wrong.

So we're going to close the Association.

It'll be everybody for themselves.

I think man decided to go to the moon
to find another planet.

One that's similar to Earth.

Because they can see the land
is being destroyed.

I'm saying "they,"
but really we're all human.

Rio Bonito's over here.

It's just beyond that horizon.

Because I've been getting
more death threats,

I've had to put up huge walls
around my house.

They want to scare people
so we don't speak up.

But we cannot give up.

If we give up, then they win.

Ari was killed for defending his land,

for defending the Amazon rainforest.

What do you think, Mom?

I'm just trying
to keep it together.

Hold me tight.

There's lots I still want to do,

and I know I don't have much time left.

But in the time I have,
I will mess with a lot of people.

Poor them. If I live another 20 years,

it'll be 20 years spent bothering anyone
who destroys the Amazon.

They burned everything.

They burned it all.

This is where my little house was.

Now, it's just a pigsty.

I'll be back.

I'll build another house in the same spot.

They burn one, I build another.

BITATÉ: Do you want to learn
to put the camera together?

Here, come help me.

- Here?
- BITATÉ: Yeah.

- Did it slide in?
- Mm-hmm.

BITATÉ: What's next?

Attach this thing here. See?

Turn it.

No, look here,
you need to line up the pins.

Press here to start recording.

Is the red light on?

- Yeah.
- BITATÉ: Good, you're recording then.

That's it, nice wide shot.

BITATÉ: It's important to record,

because then you have a weapon.

We have our own way of seeing things.

Indigenous people
have a very deep knowledge.

I think that's what's missing
from photography sometimes.

Right now,

there are more invaders
than Indigenous people within our land.

We aren't able to do this work alone.

That's why we need the world
to see what's happening here.