Skip to main content

Deep Dive: The Territory (2022)

Play Trailer

Film Lens

The Territory
The Territory follows the Uru-eu-wau-wau people, an Indigenous tribe in the Amazon rainforest, as they confront threats from farmers and settlers encroaching on their land. The film centers on Bitaté Uru-eu-wau-wau, an 18-year-old leader chosen to coordinate the tribe's defense against these intrusions. The documentary captures the ongoing conflict and the impact of colonization, including the use of slash-and-burn tactics by settlers. It also shows the role of Neidinha Bandeira, an environmental and human rights activist, who works to protect the tribe's land and share their story with the outside world. Filmed in Brazil from 2018 to 2020, The Territory uses primary source material, including footage created by the Uru-eu-wau-wau themselves. The film portrays the tensions between Indigenous peoples and settlers, particularly in the context of Brazil's political climate under Jair Bolsonaro. It addresses the violence faced by the tribe, including the murder of tribal leader Ari Uru-eu-wau-wau, and the effects of COVID-19 on their population. The film concludes with Bitaté taking on a leadership role in monitoring their territory and documenting settler activities using modern technology.

Why Watch

  • •Meet Bitaté, a young Indigenous leader fighting for his people.
  • •See the impact of Jair Bolsonaro's policies on Indigenous land.
  • •Find out how the Uru-eu-wau-wau document settler intrusions.

Did You Know

•The Uru-eu-wau-wau tribe was only contacted by the Brazilian government in 1980.
•The tribe's population has decreased from thousands to just 200 by the film's start.
•Ari Uru-eu-wau-wau, a tribal leader, was murdered and remains unsolved.
•The Uru-eu-wau-wau lost 5% of their population due to COVID-19.

Perfect For

Indigenous rightsEnvironmental activismAmazon rainforest issues