As I was watching "The Resistance of Lua", a short documentary about a community in Bahia that struggleed to maintain their culture and traditions as
a huge part of Salvador was becoming more and more decadent, I've noticed some familiar settings and places that I had seen it before but with a different
context. Not surprised when I noticed that Miguel Rio Branco was listed for his cinematography work in here, as he previously directed the mysterious short
"Nada Levarei Quando Morrer Aqueles que Me Devem Cobrarei no Inferno", in 1981 which covered the same area, part of the Lua community, but instead of
giving voice to the people he focused in showing the tragedy and some humor from the place that seemed to be falling apart.
This short here is the flipside
of that one; here we follow writers, artists, musicians, the capoeira fighters and the orixás from the area, they present their art, culture and religion,
the importance those things have in their lives while facing prejudice and contempt from others. There's some bits about the reflection on resistance they
make in keeping the place, recognising its importance since it was a Quilombo era during slavery, so they have that in mind and also the struggles faced
by African resistance movements in the 1960's, to which the people get their teachings in how to combat cultural/ethnic destruction (as they are a Black
community with many descendant from slaves).
It doesn't follow a certain pattern or a complete structure (it's a little confusing) but it presents its case in a fine manner while mixing many
art forms, rituals, a capoeira performance, some composed shots - the white horse lost in the old city is a powerful image as a poetry is spoken. It goes
as nice adendum to the 1981 film and one where you can see the challenges faced by the community and how kept things together even though the place is
wrecked and unpreserved, poverty is rampant but they survive there. They still exist and try to mantain their legacy that echoes decades of brutality,
racism and social decadence. They are many great things going on and they're preserved the best way they can. 7/10.