Xingu

Friday October 5th at 6:00, Vika Cinema 1: The Critical Room debate and screening of Xingu. The film will also be screened in the Main Competition.

How far are you willing to go to protect the unprotected? The Villas-Bôas brothers were central in mapping the undiscovered parts of Brazil, particularly the areas around the Xingu River. Their expedition began in 1943 and we follow them until the Xingu National Park was established in 1961, after many years of struggle. Hamburger skillfully shows the brothers’ emotional journey; from curious, and perhaps slightly naïve explorers, to dedicated advocates in the struggle against the Brazilian government and military. Xingu’s historic perspective doesn’t make it any less relevant, and the film doesn’t steer clear of one of history’s great dilemmas: how to unite two cultures, without the weaker one suffering? akek

Cao Hamburger started his career directing commercials. He created one of Brazil’s most popular children’s series, Castelo Rá-Tim-Bum (1994-97), which he later turned into a feature film. His second feature film The Year My Parents Went on Vacation (2006) won several awards, including the Audience Award at Films from the South in 2007.