In 2015, Brazil was hit by the worst environmental disaster in its history when the Fundão dam (in Mariana) burst and 40 million cubic meters of toxic tailings flooded the Doce River. The pollution then spread for hundreds of kilometers—all the way to the Atlantic Ocean.
Filmmaker Claudia Neubern wanted to see for herself how this was affecting local residents and traveled to the area. She spoke with fishermen who were faced with a dead river and farmers whose land had become unusable.Neubern focuses primarily on Joelma, a farmer who is demanding compensation to repair the damage caused to her fields and orchards. She refuses to accept the mining company’s attempts to offer her—and many others like her—unfair compensation. Walking along the banks of the Doce River, Neubern speaks with Joelma, her daughters, and other resilient women. They observe how greed has destroyed a once-thriving community. Meanwhile, trains carrying iron ore—symbols of an all-powerful mining industry—continue to travel through the valley.
