Brazilian Film ‘The Pink Indian Against the Invisible Beast’ Wins Awards at Biarritz

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The Brazilian film “The Pink Indian against the Invisible Beast” (O Indio Cor de Rosa contra a Fera Invisível), by Tiago Carvalho about the expeditions of the public health physician Noel Nutels, won the audience award for best documentary, the special mention by the jury of the category and the students award at the Biarritz Latin American Film Festival, held in France between September 28th and October 4th.

Carvalho, who was unable to travel to Biarritz to introduce the film, collected fascinating 16mm footage made by Nutels himself in his travels to indigenous villages between the 1940s and 1970s. The first feature film by the documentary director extends far beyond ethnographic work and has sensitized the audience and jury of the festival to the situation of Brazil’s indigenous populations, particularly affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Noel Nutels was one of the first public health physicians to denounce the genocide of indigenous peoples in Brazil. One of the most moving moments of the film is his speech at the CPI do Índio (parliamentary committee of Inquiry of the Indian) in the Chamber of Deputies in 1968 when he sounded the alarm:

“This very moment, someone is killing an Indian. It is the greed for the land, it is the greed for the subsoil, it is the greed for natural riches. It is a vice of economic structure. As long as the land is a commodity and object of speculation, an Indian is going to be killed. To whom does crime interest?”

The documentary compiles footage from 21 of films by Nutels, who directed the actions to fight tuberculosis conducted by the SUSA (Service of Air Health Units) team. The doctor produced extremely beautiful footage, where we see many scenes of indigenous children playing in the rivers, the populations hunting, fishing, or performing domestic work.

“The Pink Indian” is the title of the biographic novel on Nutels by author Orígenes Lessa (1903-1986), but it is also the affectionate nickname that friends used to call the Ukrainian-born doctor, who often featured in films in shorts and shirtless, playing and treating the Indians.

The documentary is scheduled to premiere in Brazil on October 10th. The film, released by Fiocruz Video and Banda Filmes in December 2019, has already been screened this year at Olhar de Cinema, the Curitiba International Film Festival, and the Buenos Aires International Documentary Film Festival (FDBA).

Other Awards

The Abrazo for best film at the Biarritz Latin America Festival, or the award for best fiction feature film, was awarded to “Ofrenda”, the first film by the young Argentinean filmmaker Juan María Mónaco Cagni, made with a budget of less than US$1,000 (R$5,000). The feature film deals with the aimless journey of two women who meet in a small town in the province of La Pampa, Argentina.

The jury award went to the Venezuelan film “La Fortaleza”, by Jorge Thielen Armand, shot in the Amazon jungle and performed by the filmmaker’s own father.

The audience award for best fiction feature film was granted to “Selva Trágica”, by Mexican Yulene Olaizola, a plot against the backdrop of rubber tappers working in the jungle that borders Mexico and Belize.

The critics’ award went to “Chico Ventana también quisiera tener um submarino”, by Uruguayan Alex Piperno. The fantasy genre film, shot in several countries, is a joint production by Uruguay, Brazil, Argentina, the Netherlands, and the Philippines.

In the documentary category, as well as the award granted to the Brazilian film “The Pink Indian against the Invisible Beast”, the Chilean feature “El Outro”, by Francisco Bermejo, won the Best Feature Film award. The film addresses the return to primitive life of two men who live in isolation in a cabin on the peaceful coast of Chile.

The prize for best short film went to “Teoría Social Numérica”, by Colombian Paola Michaels, a discussion about digital evolution and the passage of time, using different film formats, from Super 8 to films shot with cell phones.

Four Brazilian films competed for awards in several categories in this 29th edition of the festival: in addition to the award-winning documentary “The Pink Indian”, the feature film “A Yellow Animal”, by Felipe Bragança, competed for the best fiction feature film award. In the short films section, two Brazilian films featured in the competition: “Menarca”, by Lillah Halla and “O Prazer de matar insetos”, by Leonardo Martinelli.

Source: G1