Sieged: The Press vs. Denialism

(Cercados: Naimprensa contra o negacionismo na pandemia)
Caio Cavechini | Documentary

2020 | 116 minutes | Brazil

Leading through a pandemic with denialism and propaganda, Bolsonaro took his country to the edge of disaster while journalists warned the country of a public health disaster.

Health + Aging Science + Technology Communication + Journalism Political Science Sociology Fascism + Repression Latin American Studies History
Synopsis

Brazil reaches 100,000 deaths, but many people - including the highest authority in the country - blame the media for "increasing the crisis". While President Jair Bolsonaro spreads denialist material and misinformation, local journalists face the double challenge of not only covering the pandemic but also the country’s political turmoil. This documentary shows both sides of the tragedy in Brazil by following political reporters who confront the president and freelance photographers and video makers on the front lines of the coronavirus fight. In a rare behind-the-scenes look, the film also shows an insider’s view of how the country’s most-watched national news program dealt with Bolsonaro’s incitements and indifference towards the tragedy

Citation
Main credits

Cavechini, Caio (film director)
Cavechini, Caio (screenwriter)
Scardovelli, Eliane (screenwriter)
Coelho, Larissa (film producer)
Picarelli, Henrique (film producer)

Other credits

Cinematography, João Rocha [and 3 others]; editing, Caio Cavechini, Eliane Scardovelli, João Rocha.


Citation
Cataloging
Keywords
Bolsonaro,Covid-19,coronavirus pandemic,covid deaths,misinformation,brazil,brasil,health,healthy,physical health,mental health,emotional health,health equity,public health,health care,health policy,fitness,veracity,welfare,soundness,aging,age,old age,senior,youth,middle age,aging gracefully,advanced age,collective health,maturity,science,technology,tech,natural sciences,biological sciences,futurism,computer science,comp sci,sciences,scientific,technological,physical science,cognitive sciences,technological science,data science,data security,futurism,communications,journalism,news,information,media,new media,newspaper,newspaper,blogs,news site,news app,pulling string,gathering string,reporting,fourth estate,news media,journalists,journalist,reporters,reporter,political science,micropolitics,macropolitics,political theory,political education,political movements,political thinking,political criticism,poly sci,polysci,political sci,political sciences,political history,history of politics,political systems,sociology,anthropology,psychology,sociological,sociological perspectives,conflict theory,human conflicts,sociological thinking,conflict perspective,topics in sociology,sociology topics,sociology studies,social studies,people and cultures,human relations,human relationships,cultural studies,culture studies ,authority,authoritarianism,dictatorship,military regime,military government,fascism,repression,oppression,political oppression,political repression,far right,far right wing,modern fascism,latin american studies,caribbean american studies,island studies,latin american culture,latin american history,latin american politics, caribbean american culture,caribbean american history,caribbean american politics, latin american languages,latin american and caribbean studies,hispanic american studies,hispanic people,hispanic culture,hispanic politics,history,context,narrative,past,chronicle,lore,annals,historic,personal history,archive,record,saga,biography,memoir,study; "Sieged: The Press vs. Denialism"; Pragda Films
Clips
No clips are available yet.
Festivals

Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival

DIRECTOR: Caio Cavechini

NATIONALITY: Brazil

YEAR: 2020

GENRE: Documentary

LANGUAGE: Portuguese

COLOR / B&W: Color

GRADE LEVEL: Middle School, High School, College, Adults

SUBTITLE/CC: AVAILABLE

AUDIO DESCRIPTION: NOT AVAILABLE

Existing customers, please log in to view this film.

New to Pragda? Register to request a quote.

Related Films

READ MORE

Camocim

Documentary Brazil
The febrile portrait of a Brazilian city in transformation, haunted by its ghosts from the past.
READ MORE

Present Tense, Ep. 10 - Full, Universal, and Free

Integral, universal e gratuita
Documentary, Series Brazil
An insightful and educated exploration of Brazil at this stage and age.
READ MORE

The Candidate

El candidato
Comedy, Drama, Fiction Argentina, Uruguay
Tells the story of Martín, the son of a wealthy businessman, who starts prepping his candidacy for office. In order to distance himself from the reputation of his father, he decides to form a new party that speaks for the common man, and hires a team of PR hotshots to craft his new image.
READ MORE

I Owe You a Letter About Brazil

Fico te devendo uma carta sobre o Brasil
Documentary Brazil
An investigation into the persistence of silence as a tool to erase memory in Brazil.
READ MORE

Present Tense, Ep. 11 - Fake News

Fake News
Documentary, Series Brazil
An insightful and educated exploration of Brazil at this stage and age.
READ MORE

Unconscious Revealed

Inconscientes revelados
Documentary Brazil
An examination of racial issues in Brazil from its historical formation, including Black representation in markets, entrepreneurial women, generational patterns, and the lingering scar of racism.
READ MORE

I Am the People: Venezuela Under Populism

El pueblo soy yo: Venezuela en populismo
Documentary Mexico, Venezuela
In a world increasingly less transparent, where the shortcut of populism lurks to endanger democracies, I Am The People: Venezuela Under Populism compels us to ask ourselves if any society, however stable, can be considered invulnerable to a populist irruption and its consequences. Populism isn’t an ideology. It’s a way of governing.
READ MORE

Delicate Balance

Frágil equilibrio
Documentary Chile, Mexico, Spain, Uruguay, Japan
Centered around an extensive interview with Jose “Pepe” Mujica, the former President of Uruguay who gained notoriety on the world stage as a rare politician: one that lives according to the ideas and principles he preaches, Delicate Balance is a contemplative essay on the everyday reality of globalization.
READ MORE

Left Entranced

Documentary Brazil
A cinematographic opera, a musical version of the events that shook Brazil and the political left in 2016.
READ MORE

Brazil: A Time to Build

Brasil, país do presente?
Documentary Brazil
How is the new generation of Brazilians feeling about the conflicting situation of the country? Diplomat, writer, and filmmaker Gustavo Westmann brings to the screen a renewed type of debate on Brazil in the 21st century.
READ MORE

Swing and Sway

Vai e vem
Documentary, Experimental United States, Brazil
Against the backdrop of a tumultuous 2020 marked by pandemics, elections, and social upheavals, the two friends embark on a thought-provoking exploration of feminist cinematic expression and the female experience.
READ MORE

The Territories

Los territorios
Documentary Argentina, Brazil
An engrossing exploration into what it means to be a journalist, the film is about how we approach the conflicts and the role the press plays in times of fake news.
READ MORE

The Brave Class: The Power of Political Speech

Clase valiente: el poder de las palabras
Documentary Spain
A social experiment that introduces a concept into the daily speech of politicians and communications experts during the 2015 Spanish elections. This involved many people in acts of public intervention, urban art, and other forms of social activism with surprising results.

Related Collections

The Pragda Complete Film Collection

The essence of Spain and Latin America captured in their original language with English captions or subtitles.

Number of titles: 621

SEE COLLECTION >
High School Collection

Given varying criteria for content ratings and age restrictions in different regions, Pragda STREAM recommends faculty watch films in their entirety before assigning them to students.

Number of titles: 509

SEE COLLECTION >
Portuguese Language Films

A journey through Brazilian cinema celebrating the musicality of the Portuguese language and the country’s cultural heritage.

Number of titles: 117

SEE COLLECTION >
Documentary Chronicles

A truthful examination and captivating glimpse into the complexities of the region.

Number of titles: 358

SEE COLLECTION >
Repression and Resistance

An exploration of Spain and Latin America’s authoritarian regimes and the movements that fought against them.

Number of titles: 88

SEE COLLECTION >