Aracati

The old man by the stream in northeastern Brazil tells us that it takes four hours for the wind to blow across from Aracati to Icó. The same wind drives the windmill farm, sways the sparse trees and chases the dust across the parched earth into the vast expanse of the reservoir. Power lines now crisscross this realm of earth, air and water. This calmly paced and somewhat experimental documentary follows the wind, allowing the landscape time to speak its own language. Along the way, filmmakers Julia De Simone and Aline Portugal encounter people who know what it used to be like around here. A woman sits with a child on the riverbank, pointing to where the road once ran – now there is only water. In an old village, all the houses have collapsed, and only traces now remain of buildings near the reservoir. A cross can be seen poking through the water’s surface. A horseman searching for a stray cow explains that he has always lived in the wilderness. Everything has changed, but the wind and the stories remain. We explore time and space, examine relationships between people and their surroundings, and even reflect on the nature of reality. (International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam)