BirdWatchers (La terra degli uomini rossi) (2008)

Review

BirdWatchers is a tale of a group of desillusioned and negative Guarani-Kaiowa indians in inland Brazil who in a desperate attempt to regain their pride and history set up a camp on the edge of a big farmer's land. With noticeable unprofessional actors and uneven production values, the film is depending on its director for dramatic effect. His name is Marco Belchis - a Chilean-Italian filmmaker whose 1999 film Garage Olimpio was in the Cannes selection. And at times, BirdWatchers is both riveting and poignant, but it is do indistinctly edited and told that it is difficult to know exactly what the Belchis is trying to say. The indians are rarely presented in a charming or interesting manner, and yet the ending reveals that what we have been watching has been an extended begging letter. It's a questionable move by a filmmaker who seems to think that being unbiased in his presentation would be sufficient to create an effective film.