Ironland
(Lavra)
Lucas Bambozzi | Documentary
2021 | 100 minutes | Brazil
A geographer returns to Minas Gerais after a mining disaster, exposing the region’s history of exploitation and the human cost of resource extraction.
Synopsis
After decades of life in the United States, Brazilian geographer Camila returns to her homeland of Minas Gerais in response to a catastrophic mining-related environmental disaster. The event—a dam collapse that unleashed toxic wastewater from an iron ore mine—obliterated villages and devastated the region. This documentary road movie examines the enduring impact of mining on Minas Gerais, tracing its deep historical and cultural imprints.
Camila’s journey begins on a train bearing the mining company’s name, traversing a landscape dominated by expansive iron ore quarries. Mining’s omnipresence extends even into Brazil’s literary canon, as reflected in the work of Carlos Drummond de Andrade, the renowned poet from this region.
Through poetic voiceovers juxtaposed against stark realities, the film weaves a narrative of resilience and reckoning. As Camila engages with victims and activists in a landscape scarred by industrial exploitation, she uncovers the systemic nature of such disasters.
Reviews
“An outcry against man-made environmental disasters, tracking the long-term effects on the survivors of the biggest dam collapse in Brazil.” – Patricia Boero, The Film Veredict
“What remains of a human culture when it is subjected to a radical process of destruction? There are memories, words, some images, old photos, perhaps a work of art. And, as can be seen, there remains the desire to resist, even if this is a very unequal fight. Beautiful – and sad – movie.” – Luiz Fernando Zanin Oricchio
“There is room for many reflections and feelings in this pearl of a film that, more than tracing the painful and sad map of mining in Brazil, maps lives that were lost, dreams destroyed or, paraphrasing those modernist verses by Manuel Bandeira, “an entire life that could have been, and that was not.” – Gazeta do Estado
Citation
Main credits
Bambozzi, Lucas (film director)
Tassis, Christiane (screenwriter)
Hallak, André (film producer)
Mota, Camila (narrator)
Other credits
Cinematography, Bruno Risas; editing, Fabian Remyo; music, Stephen Vitiello, O Grivo.
Citation
Cataloging
Pragda subjects
Criminal Justice
Economics + Social Class Issues
Environment + Sustainability
Geography
Human Rights
Labor Studies
Latin American Studies
Sociology
South America
Keywords
Clips
Festivals
IDFA International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam; Brasília Festival of Brazilian Cinema - Best Cinematography; Hot Docs; Latin American Competition. Mostra Ecofalante – Latin American Competition Audience Award; The World of Knowledge International Film Festival - Jury’s Special Mention; ATLANTICDOC Film Festival - SIGNIS Award
DIRECTOR: Lucas Bambozzi
NATIONALITY: Brazil
YEAR: 2021
GENRE: Documentary
LANGUAGE: Portuguese
COLOR / B&W: Color
GRADE LEVEL: High School, College, Adult
SUBTITLE/CC: AVAILABLE
AUDIO DESCRIPTION: NOT AVAILABLE
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