Birdwatchers - Claudio Santamaria

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S E A R C H D V D B e a v e r

(aka "BirdWatchers - La terra degli uomini rossi" or "Terra Vermelha")

directed by Marco Bechis
Italy/Brazil 2008

It takes a director who has worked with Jorge Luis Borges to appreciate and depict the absurdities of life for indigenous people in the Amazon basin. Marco Bechis’ unsentimental and fiercely intelligent feature BirdWatchers reflects not only his own political expulsion from Argentina in the 1970s but also Chip, the film he planned with the great Argentine writer. BirdWatchers, set in Mato Grosso do Sul in Brazil, may not recall the radical mode of Third Cinema, but its tonal complexity, compelling performances and precise evocations of the spirit world are a far cry from the liberal campaigning film a viewer might expect on hearing that it is produced by Survival International.

Excerpt of review from Sophie Mayer located HERE

Theatrical Release: November 28th, 2008 (Brazil)

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DVD Review: Artificial Eye (Spine # 471) - Region 0 - PAL

DVD Box Cover		CLICK to order from:
Distribution	Artificial Eye Region 0 - PAL
Runtime	1:39:18
Video	2.35:1 Original Aspect Ratio 16X9 enhanced Average Bitrate: 7.44 mb/s PAL 720x576 25.00 f/s
	NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes.
Bitrate
Audio	Portuguese (Dolby Digital 5.1 or 2.0)
Subtitles	English, None
Features	Release Information: Studio: Artificial Eye Aspect Ratio: Widescreen anamorphic - 2.35:1 Edition Details: • Uncontacted Tribes (4:59) DVD Release Date: January 25th, 2010 Keep Case Chapters 12

Comments

Marco Bechis's "Birdwatchers", which was released by Artificial Eye earlier this year, tells the story of a group of native Brazilian tribesmen who are trapped between two worlds. They try to preserve their ways as best as possible, but then dress in t-shirts and jeans. They still hunt with bows and arrows, but then get paid by a local cattle ranch owner to use them to give tourists a show. Their world teeters on the edge, under constant threat of deforestation, murderous ranchers, and the lure of a steady wage in field work. While the film raises many questions for its viewers, it isn't eager to answer any of them. It's a decent enough film, if a bit heavy handed at times.

The image is slightly on the soft side with admirable detail in some close ups, but a slight lack of detail in mid and long shots. The image is by no means bad, but doesn't compare well with the top of the line material out there. Colors look fairly good, and there's no artifacting or damage to speak of. Although the film is interlaced (as it is PAL), there are no signs of combing (but possibly some minor ghosting here or there).

The audio on the release is quite good. We have the option of choosing between DD 5.1 and 2.0. Of course, the surround sound is very nice, with high clarity, and good balance and contrast. I detected no unwanted background noises or signs of artificial manipulation. Unfortunately, the English language subtitles are burnt in.

The only extra on the disc is a short piece on dealing with tribes that have no contact with the outside world. The short, which is narrated by Julie Christie, is interesting, but a bit out of place given that the tribe in the film is not isolated.

While this isn't as a perfect release from the company, it is nonetheless a very competent one that fans of the film can easily appreciate. Recommended.

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