Vale? Is it Worth It? Five artists in the front line against Brazil’s worst environmental crime
The first film in Brazil about the collapse of a mining dam that killed almost 300 people in Brumadinho to focus on the impact of this tragedy on the arts and culture of this region.
The Film
As a result of the research project Roots of Resilience: Mining Threats to Cultural Heritage and Climate, in 2023 we launched the documentary Vale? (30?) directed by Marcelo Barbosa (Indianara, 2019. Mubi) and PPP’s artistic director Paul Heritage.
This is the first film in Brazil about the collapse of a mining dam that killed almost 300 people in Brumadinho to focus on the impact of this tragedy on the arts and culture of this region.
Its premiere took place in the affected area of Minas Gerais with free screenings in Belo Horizonte, Ouro Preto and Brumadinho, and later in Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo, London, Oxford, Manchester and South Wales followed by a conversation about the crime with the audiences.
In Vale? five local artists share their experiences, grief, worries and hope with music, poetry, rap and circus performances. The clown Jô Alves (Passagem de Mariana, Minas Gerais, Brazil), actor and theatre director Lucas Fabrício (Nova Lima, Minas Gerais, Brazil), drummer and educator Rei Batuque (community of new generations of former slaves, Brumadinho, Minas Gerais, Brazil), musician Vitor Elias (Band São Sebastião, Brumadinho, Minas Gerais, Brazil) and rapper and poet Thiago SKP (Cultural Centre Carlos Drummond de Andrade, Itabira, Minas Gerais, Brazil) – reflect about the impact of mining activity and the disasters caused by the industry on their work as artists.
Paul Heritage
‘How much is life worth? How much? How much? The pain of those who cry, how much is it worth? Generating jobs, to put food on the table, they don’t do it for you but for the company’s profit. Lyrics by Thiago SKP
The mining cited in many of the Brazilian greatest poet Carlos Drummond’s verses also permeates the art of rapper and educator from Itabira, Thiago SKP, author of the documentary’s theme song.
Thiago SKP, rapper and author of the film soundtrack
Synopsis: Through music, poetry and circus performances, five Brazilian artists talk about their grief, fears and hope four years after the Brumadinho Dam collapsed, killing 300 people.
The documentary, directed by Paul Heritage and Marcelo Barbosa (Indianara, 2019) focuses on the impact of the collapse on the artistic and cultural heritage of this rich mining region in Brazil and asks – Is it worth it?
Watch the trailer:
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