LANDSCAPES OF MEMORY
A film by José Araújo
The struggle of the peasants of the Sertão against the Dragon in the backlands of Brazil 35 mm, fiction, black and white, 101 minutes
SYNOPSIS
Antero and Maria appear, surrounded by hundreds of black and white photographs on the walls of a small room, portraits of old and young faces, offerings of thanks for favours granted. These are the people of the Sert‹o or the hot and arid lands of the Northeastern interior of Brazil. O SERTÃO DAS MEMÓRIAS tells the story of two "Sertanejos," the inhabitants of the Sert‹o. Maria is the feminine reincarnation of Jesus representing the strength of the Sertanejo woman. She invites the Beatas (holy women) on a mission of prayer on which they journey through the countryside, witnessing the social contrasts and unrest among people. Maria and the Beatas travel through a modern city on the coast to shanty towns and rural landscapes scarred by drought in the interior. Maria's face expresses the collective suffering of the lives of the Sertanejos. On her journeys she listens to stories about the Dragon, the exploitative enemy of the poor. Maria encounters Antero at the foot of the tree of life. Antero is a strong worker and heroic symbol of the peasants. His calloused hands represent years of farming the arid lands. He sees himself as a direct descendant of the line of prophets from the Old Testament. Antero's history intermingles with Maria's. The collective tragedies and memories of the Sertanejos form his own story. Through his dreams he predicts the end of the world. He forsees plagues on the land. The characters he encounters in his visions are from the Bible. Through Antero's interpretation we see the unfolding of biblical prophecy. Like Maria, Antero also encounters the Dragon which has many faces. It appears to him in the horizon as the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, an omen foreshadowing destruction. After this vision, the Sertanejos suffer even more. Politicians from the cities arrive with false promises in exchange for votes. The people listen silently. Daily work is part of their struggle, they have heard these promises before. Their villages are historic regions of social conflict and the site of droughts and famine. Television enters and further alienates people. Mystics appear in villages, decrying the politicians, and inciting the people to revolt. Political agitation intermixes with religious fervor. Antero and Maria are part of the revolutionary process, struggling against the Dragon in all its forms. But they suffer defeat and crushed hopes and their exploitation continues. However, this is part of the prophecy. Antero and Maria's plight fortifies their inner strength. For them living with adversity is an essential act and one that they share with their community. They continue to cling to the belief in a freedom guided by saints and martyrs. It is these beliefs that accompany their work, pain and love for the land. Antero and Maria reflect the typical characters of an ancient and modern Sert‹o. The telling of their story guides them back to the house of photographs at beginning of the film. Their story is the homage to the Sertanejos who struggle in anonymity like unsung heroes.
