Name: A Lenda de Ubirajara
Genre: Drama
Duration: 1 h 30 min
Rating: 6.5
Cast: Tatau, Taíse Costa, Roberto Bonfim

I saw this film many years ago when the directors brought it to the Pacific Film Archive. I have yet to see another film that can compare with it. There have been quite a few African films set in precolonial times, but the world they portray is no longer simple. Africans developed great civilizations of their own in the Middle Ages, and had early contacts with both Arabs and Europeans.

The actors in the Brazilian film are Indians - some urbanized, some still living in the jungle. The story takes place before the arrival of Europeans, and is both realistic and mythic. A young man sets out from his village to test himself. There is almost no dialog - the story is told with images: the journey (by dugout canoe and on foot); the challenge; the ritual combat; the courtship; and the conflict. Many directors could learn by studying this film, and if it were available on DVD, perhaps it would inspire similar films based on North American Indians. The obvious source material would be the novels of Robert Conley, a Cherokee Indian who writes stories about The Real People both before and during European incursions. War Woman, for example, could make a great film.

Portuguese-language cinema, spanning Portugal, Brazil, and other Lusophone regions, focuses on history, cultural identity, and the struggles of ordinary people, often framed with poetic or allegorical storytelling. In Portugal, cinema has emphasized meditative pacing and philosophical depth, reflecting on memory and tradition. In Brazil, it has often been politically charged and socially vibrant, highlighting inequality and resilience while experimenting with popular and avant-garde forms.

Alexandre Rodrigues in City of God (2002)

The drama genre is a broad category that features stories portraying human experiences, emotions, conflicts, and relationships in a realistic and emotionally impactful way. Dramas delve into the complexities of human life, often exploring themes of love, loss, morality, societal issues, personal growth, with the aim to evoke an emotional response from the audience by presenting relatable and thought-provoking stories.

Mahershala Ali and Alex R. Hibbert in Moonlight (2016)

In order to earn a warrior name, the son of Araguaia chief wanders the forest, falls in love with a girl from the Tocantins tribe, and defeats their bravest warrior. When his true identity is discovered, he makes a deal: promises to fight the Tapuias, another tribe which threatens the Tocantins, marries the Indian girl and establishes the Ubirajara nation.

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A Lenda de Ubirajara

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