Brave New Land (2000)
"Brava Gente Brasileira" (original title)

A young Portuguese cartographer in the 18th century finds new forms of love, war and a wild new world in an expedition into South American heart.

Director:

Lúcia Murat

Writer:

Lúcia Murat

Stars:

Diogo Infante, Floriano Peixoto, Luciana Rigueira

2 wins.

Cast

Credited cast:
Diogo Infante	...	Diogo de Castro e Albuquerque
Floriano Peixoto	...	Capitão Pedro
Luciana Rigueira	...	Ánote
Leonardo Villar	...	Comandante
Buza Ferraz	...	Antônio
Murilo Grossi	...	Alfonso (Spanish priest)
Sérgio Mamberti	...	Priest
Adeílson Silva	...	Januya
Hilário Silva	...	Chefe Kadiwéu
Vanessa Marcelino	...	Anoã
Sandra Silva	...	Anoã's mother
William Soares	...	Anoã's father
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Vânia Matchua Leite	...	Comandante's wife
Edna Marcelino	...	Anoã's sister
Alvanir Matchua	...	Young warrior

Storyline

Diogo is a cartographer and artist who is encharged to set the new frontiers of Portuguese Colonies in South America. When he reaches the center of the continent, finds apparently nothing but wilderness and 'uncivilized' natives with strange ways of living. But Captain Pedro, the rude scout who guides him through the jungle, involves Diogo in an involuntary act of violence which will tie him in an unusual way to that far away country. At the same time, the Portuguese colonists are trying to make peace with Guaicuru Indians (one of the few natives with horse-riding abilities). But peace doesn't ever have a low price.

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Plot Keywords:

18th century | guaiacuru indian | loincloth | indigenous language | body art | 

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Genres:

Drama | War

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Details

Country:

Brazil Portugal

Language:

Portuguese

Release Date:

19 January 2001 (Brazil)

Also Known As:

Brave New Land

Company Credits

Production Co:

BigDeni Filmes, Costa do Castelo Filmes, Quanta Centro de Produções Cinematográficas

Technical Specs

Runtime:

104 min

Color:

Color

User Reviews

How South America's "West Was Won

Finally, a South American Western showing the cruel realities of how its West was won. In this case, the film highlights how the Portuguese pushed further west into erstwhile Spanish lands to expand Brazil beyond the Line of Demarcation between Spanish and Portuguese America established by the Pope. The action takes place at the close of the 18th Century. Portuguese nobles, Brazilian-born Creoles (including the New Christians (Converted Jews sent to Brazil to populate the colony), and the Catholic clergy conspired to virtually wipe out Indian tribes, while "Westernizing" the landscape. It's an interesting history lesson, and an entertaining film. It features beautiful landscapes, and a supporting cast composed of many of the surviving "Indians" from the area. Unusual and worth a look.