Director
Santiago Bertolino
Production
Le Studio Via le monde
Languages
French, Portuguese
Year
2024
97 min, Documentary, Canada, 5.1
Between road movie and political essay, this documentary takes us along the Amazon River from Brazil to one of its sources in Ecuador, to meet those who are defending their territory.
With a hybrid style blending political essay and road movie, this documentary by Santiago Bertolino takes us into the heart of the Amazonian reality.
Following Marie-Josée Béliveau, an ecologist and ethnogeographer, they journey together along the 4000 km from the mouth of the Amazon River in Brazil to one of its sources in Ecuador where they meet with the guardians of the forest.
As a result, we witness powerful and spontaneous testimonies from local communities who are doing everything to preserve what remains of their lands, which are disappearing due to the inexorable advance of Western modernity.
Writer: Santiago Bertolino
Photography: Santiago Bertolino
Sound: Santiago Bertolino
Editing: Santiago Bertolino
Sound Design: Anton Fischlin
Sound Mixer: Anton Fischlin
Color grading: François Dumoulin
Music: Stefan Christoff
With: Marie-Josée Béliveau
Production: Daniel Bertolino, Catherine Viau, Christian Charpenel
Santiago Bertolino
Santiago Bertolino is an independent director and scriptwriter. Amazonia, an encounter with the guardians of the rainforest is his fourth full-length documentary. NIN E TEPUEIAN (My Cry), his 3rd full-length documentary, was released in Quebec in January 2020. A portrait of Innu artist Natasha Kanapé Fontaine, produced by Le Studio Via le Monde Inc.
In 2016, Santiago Bertolino directed Freelancer on the front lines. This film produced by the ONF follows the journey of a freelance journalist in the war zone of the Middle East. The shootings took him to Iraqi Kurdistan, Israel, Palestine, Egypt and Turkey. In 2013, he co-directed his first feature film with Hugo Samson, about Quebec students’ struggle against tuition fee hikes, the famous Student Spring. Red Square on a Blackboard, which premiered on Télé-Québec, won two Gémeaux awards: Best Documentary on Social Issues and Best Screenplay.
Filmography
AMAZONIA, AN ENCOUNTER WITH THE GUARDIANS OF THE RAINFOREST, 97 min, Documentary, 2024
NIN E TEPUEIAN – MY CRY, 82 min, Documentary, 2019
FREELANCER ON THE FRONT LINES, 97 min, Documentary, 2016
RED SQUARE ON A BLACKBOARD, 110 min, Documentary, 2013
STONES ALONE WILL NOT STOP THE OCCUPATION, 14 min, Documentary, 2010