AMAZONIA, AN ENCOUNTER WITH THE GUARDIANS OF THE RAINFOREST

Santiago Bertolino

Subjects: Environment , Identity , Indigenous , Women

Directed by

Santiago Bertolino

Language

French / Portuguese

Produced by

Le Studio Via le monde

97 min, Documentary, Canada, 2024

Between road movie and political essay, this documentary takes us along the Amazon River from Brazil to one of its sources in Ecuador, to meet those who are defending their territory.

Synopsis

With a hybrid style blending political essay and road movie, this documentary by Santiago Bertolino takes us into the heart of the Amazonian reality.

 

Following Marie-Josée Béliveau, an ecologist and ethnogeographer, they journey together along the 4000 km from the mouth of the Amazon River in Brazil to one of its sources in Ecuador where they meet with the guardians of the forest.

 

As a result, we witness powerful and spontaneous testimonies from local communities who are doing everything to preserve what remains of their lands, which are disappearing due to the inexorable advance of Western modernity.

 

Crew

Writer : Santiago Bertolino

Photography : Santiago Bertolino

Sound : Santiago Bertolino

Editing : Santiago Bertolino

Sound Design : Anton Fischlin

Sound Mixer : Anton Fischlin

Color grading : François Dumoulin

Music : Stefan Christoff

With : Marie-Josée Béliveau

Production : Daniel Bertolino, Catherine Viau, Christian Charpenel

En bas de ça, c'est pas encore fait

Direction

Santiago Bertolino

Santiago Bertolino is an independent director and scriptwriter. Amazonia, an encounter with the guardians of the rainforest is his fourth full-length documentary. NIN E TEPUEIAN (My Cry), his 3rd full-length documentary, was released in Quebec in January 2020. A portrait of Innu artist Natasha Kanapé Fontaine, produced by Le Studio Via le Monde Inc.

In 2016, Santiago Bertolino directed Freelancer on the front lines. This film produced by the ONF follows the journey of a freelance journalist in the war zone of the Middle East. The shootings took him to Iraqi Kurdistan, Israel, Palestine, Egypt and Turkey. In 2013, he co-directed his first feature film with Hugo Samson, about Quebec students’ struggle against tuition fee hikes, the famous Student Spring. Red Square on a Blackboard, which premiered on Télé-Québec, won two Gémeaux awards: Best Documentary on Social Issues and Best Screenplay.

 

Filmography

AMAZONIA, AN ENCOUNTER WITH THE GUARDIANS OF THE RAINFOREST, 97 min, Documentary, 2024

NIN E TEPUEIAN – MY CRY, 82 min, Documentary, 2019

FREELANCER ON THE FRONT LINES, 97 min, Documentary, 2016
RED SQUARE ON A BLACKBOARD, 110 min, Documentary, 2013
STONES ALONE WILL NOT STOP THE OCCUPATION, 14 min, Documentary, 2010