disappointment media
  • Home
  • Reviews
  • Interviews
  • The Snake Hole
  • About

THE TERRITORY -- An Important Story About Protecting the Environment

8/16/2022

0 Comments

 
Review by Adam Donato
Picture
Coming to theaters at the end of this summer is one of the best documentaries of the year. With a litany of awards nominations and wins this year already, it will be exciting to see what kind of splash The Territory will make at the box office. Alex Pritz had co-directed a few documentary shorts, but this is his first feature length documentary solely directed by him. The film follows an Indigenous group of people living in the Amazon rainforest as they try to protect their land from an association of Brazilian farmers who seek deforestation. Will this important story make waves at the box office this weekend and through its expansion?

The first thing to mention about this documentary is the visuals. It amplifies the pro-environmental message immensely to see the beauty of the land they call home, especially when it shows the contrast to the land that had been burnt down and cleared out. It's no surprise here that National Geographic would have the technical aspects of their documentary all buttoned up.
Picture
Not only does this documentary invoke sympathy for the land, but for the Indigenous people as well. The Territory mostly follows an environmental activist who has dedicated her life to protecting the land and its people. There’s also a lot of time dedicated to the new leader of the group elected by the elders. Listening to the perspective of the youths is heartbreaking as it has been made clear this has been a longstanding issue. The elders speak about how in the past they pursued war with invaders, but now are different times. The ability to experience their struggle first hand justifies this story being brought to light. The more people that become aware of this problem, it will hopefully open some eyes. 

Another person who is given the spotlight is the leader of the association of Brazilian farmers. The Territory does a good job of making its point and taking a side, but doesn’t shy away from showing the antagonist’s perspective. By the end of the story, it’s easy to understand why they’re doing what they’re doing. It’s selfish and destructive, but in a cruel world, they’re just trying to survive. That’s another example of how heart-wrenching this story is. So many people are being negatively impacted in the documentary, not to mention the worldwide consequences of deforestation.

The Territory is a story about empathy and values. This true story is overwhelmingly important and depressing. Don’t let that downer description dissuade you from checking this one out, as it showcases the power of the human spirit in a way that almost restores faith in humanity. Be sure to check this one out in theaters and expect to hear this movie continued to be in the awards season conversation.

The Territory hits theaters on August 19.

Rating: 5/5
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Archives

    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019

    Authors

    All
    Adam Donato
    Alan French
    Camden Ferrell
    Cole Groth
    Dan Skip Allen
    Jonathan Berk
    Joseph Fayed
    Josh Batchelder
    Paris Jade
    Rafael Motamayor
    Sarah Williams
    Sean Boelman
    Tatiana Miranda

disappointment media

Dedicated to unique and diverse perspectives on cinema!
  • Home
  • Reviews
  • Interviews
  • The Snake Hole
  • About