Iracema, an indigenous teenager, sets out to try her luck in Belém. There, she meets truck driver Tião Brasil Grande, an apologist for “Brazil’s economic miracle”, who takes her in his cab along the Trans-Amazonian highway. Much like direct cinema, the film combines directed improvisations, a fictional plot and a sense of urgency to document an Amazon undergoing radical change. It captures not only processions, markets and prostitution but also the deforestation. As an observation of the ruthless exploitation of land and bodies, it brings to light with a rare freedom of expression — devoid of pathos or romanticism — the underbelly of the race for profit: the degradation and marginalisation of communities left quite literally on the roadside. Fifty years on, Iracema – an Amazonian affair is still a highly relevant topic for today.
Frédérique Monblanc
Restored print
This film is not recommended for young audiences (under 12)
