Screening of Rivane Neuenschwander's 'I am a Macaw'
Rivane Neuenschwander's film 'I am a Macaw' is screened at Cultuurcentrum Mechelen on Sunday 24 March, alongside 'Radical Shapeshifters', a group exhibition at Kunsthal Mechelen.
In 'I am a Macaw' (original title: 'Eu Sou Uma Arara') Neuenschwander reflects on the impact of the destruction of the Brazilian jungle on the indigenous population. Neuenschwander, together with filmmaker Mariana Lacerda, came up with the idea to infiltrate protests (most of them against the ultra-right President Bolsonaro) to raise awareness.
Dozens of characters dressed as Brazilian fauna and flora - one a beetle, another a parrot or a butterfly, and another a rare plant - with protest signs with texts such as 'Cosmic Dancer', 'The Turning of Gaia' or 'The Crossing' mingled with the other demonstrators.
"The language used by the left in the protests is always the same, with the usual buzzwords. We tried to change this outdated vocabulary", says Neuenschwander.
The soundtrack was created by O Grivo, a duo from Belo Horizonte. They blended recordings from the protests with sounds of from the forest and a strange mix of screeching violins, glockenspiels and gongs.
