Jorge Bodanzky Documentary Highlights Amazon Changes at Bonito Cinesur

The documentary "Um Olhar Inquieto: O Cinema de Jorge Bodanzky" premiered at the Bonito Cinesur festival in Bonito, Brazil. Directed by Liliane Maia with Bodanzky himself, the film revisits the Brazilian documentarian’s five‑decade career, weaving together newly digitised Super‑8 footage from 1973 with contemporary recordings made on a mobile phone.

The archival material includes rare images of the Paiter Suruí people during an uncontacted encounter and scenes of the abandoned Humboldt Laboratory project. Bodanzky reflects on how the Amazon region has transformed: former forest areas are now dominated by soy plantations, many indigenous community members have died from disease and violence, and the Humboldt site lies in ruins. The documentary underscores the persistent view of the Amazon as a space for exploitation, calling for greater civil‑society mobilisation.

The screening runs through Saturday, offering audiences a dialogue between past and present documentary practices and a stark reminder of ongoing environmental and social impacts in the Amazon.