Amazon Mirror (2022)

• 64%
• 2022
• Documentary
• Fernando Segtowick

Following two decades of acclaimed shorts, acclaimed Brazilian director Fernando Segtowick makes his feature-length debut with O Reflexo do Lago ('Amazon Mirror'), a stunning, black and white documentary concerning the environmental and social impact of deforestation in Brazil.Segtowick's contemplative film delves the societal impact of major industry, presenting a gentle exploration of the lives of the residents of Tucuruí, a beautiful region alongside the Amazon that has nonetheless been severely impacted by the building of a hydroelectric dam. In the polluted waters, the remains of dead trees serve as a bleak reminder of whole ecosystems long since lost. And yet, the river still flows on, as workers and their families invite Segtowick into their livelihoods and homes with warmth and generosity.Failed repeatedly by local governments and the supposed guaranteed benefits of economic progress that arrive with industry, those living alongside the Caraipé River maintain a quiet dignity and optimism, as well as a warm bond across generations. As the older residents reflect on the course of their lives, their children remain cautiously optimistic about the future. Meanwhile, the very youngest generation still find freedom and excitement in a scorched environment.Wary of inviting a problematic western gaze, Segtowick subtly de-exoticizes Tucuruí's breathtaking landscape with his dramatic monochrome photography, without once sacrificing its power. Often appearing on-camera himself, Segtowick respectfully observes intimate moments amongst the community. Despite the enormous toll on their daily lives, he witnesses the joy as they pray, love, sing and prosper, shooting with a natural style that seamlessly blends both land and water, nature and humanity, the personal and the political.O Reflexo do Lago is a patient testimony to resistance, as well as a sensational document of an environment in crisis.