The community of Ixelles has organized a special evening dedicated to the emergency situation in the Amazon. The documentary will be screened at Cinema Vendôme on October 15th, Tuesday at 20:00.

« The human adventure is at a crossroads. As global warming accelerates, global biodiversity collapses, states seem powerless since the Rio Earth Summit in 1992 to take the necessary action. Terra Libre, both a logbook and an investigation, has been attached to the legendary indigenous leader Raoni Metuktire for almost four years. Accompanying him and discovering the new guard of the sentinels of the planet, it is to perform a shocking immersion at the heart of global issues, from an emblematic Summit from one UN to the other (Rio + 20 and the COP 21) . The vision and call for the Alliance of Amazonian Indigenous Chiefs to protect future generations is an inspiration to humanity. »

The evening will start will the reception at 19:30, and the film will be projected at 20:00. The debate will start at 22:00.

The entrance costs 5 euros.

TERRA LIBRE, un film de Gert-Peter Bruch – teaser FR from Planète Amazone on Vimeo.

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This thematic audio-visual and research meeting within the Portuguese speaking world is dedicated to the challenges related to migration, territories and identities, through a series of documentaries from countries of expression and Portuguese language.

« If we speak of memory we can speak of the construction of the identity of Brazil or the political issues of lusophone Africa with several countries linked by language. On the other hand, we evaluate the reasons that lead us to seek other territories and how to feel in the world being part of it by origin or affectivity. We think of language as the fundamental link and we question the existence of the existential link. We still have the situation of people originating in the Amazon that today suffer threats in their territories of origin at the same time that the immigrants also suffer. Let us reflect on the question of territoriality in the discourse of belonging and identity,’’ says Aline Yasmin, producer of the project.

We are all foreigners focuses on migration to promote filmmakers and films focused on territory and identity in a series of six questions:

• Who am I in the world? Immigration and sense of belonging
• Who approves this place?  The perception of identity and challenges of indigenous peoples in the Amazon in Brazil; The memory and senses of Lusophone Africa: Paths and issues
• My patry, my language? Language, diversity and identity in Lusophony
• And if I cannot stay? Involuntary migration and resistance
• Brazil, a country built on mix: Memory and the migratory journey in several regions of Brazil.

« The issue of migration is urgent because we are facing a process of deep reflection around the world about being a migrant. Lusophony itself is a process of migration and establishment of new frontiers. It seems clear to us that we should opt for the theme that underlies the very concept of the project, which is to move from humanity in search of other territories, » says Monica Musoni, the organiser.

The organisation is focused on the production of Portuguese-speaking cinema, which addresses specific themes chosen for each edition. Cine Luso Espirito Mundo is also a platform for dissemination, promotion and intercultural dialogue between Portuguese-speaking countries and other communities.

« We hope to establish a bridge between all communities in Brussels, lusophony is our starting point. Gather this community around issues that are sensitive to them and stand as a point of connections between them has been achieved since we have seen an audience from all the Portuguese speaking countries participating in the debates.’’

The second edition follows exclusively the film-debate model, with the presence of directors, activists, experts on migration and identity issues. The realization of the project is conducted by the non-profit organization Espirito Mundo, and takes place at the Maison des cultures and the Maison du Peuple, with the support of the Comunne de Saint Gilles.

As in the 2017 edition, the meeting promotes a Creative residence, with the challenge of producing a two-week short film and it will involve researchers, producers, directors, actors and artists from various local and international creative sectors.

The result will be displayed at the Maison du Peuple in Saint Gilles on November 23rd, in the presence of the collective director.

The post We are all foreigners: A meeting of Portuguese-speaking countries in the second edition of Cine Luso appeared first on Brussels Express.

The host stated « Bolsonaro represents all that is most repulsive in politics, with his racist, sexist, homophobic remarks. Now that he is in power, his nostalgia for the military dictatorship in Brazil between 1964 and 1985, and his intentions to reinstate torture, are of great concern to us about the fate of his political opponents, particularly to the left and to feminist activists, LGBTQI +, trade unionists, ecologists, anti-racists … »

Several people have decided to join as a way to raise awareness and warning about the rise of fascism.

The organizer added, « We want to express, with this rally in front of the Brazilian Embassy, ​​our full solidarity with the Brazilian comrades to inform them that they are not alone, and that we will continue to fight the fascism wherever it develops. »

The post Happening now: Anti-fascist rally against Bolsonaro’s win at the Brazilian Embassy appeared first on Brussels Express.

It is estimated that 40,000 Brazilians live in Belgium and 7,000 in Luxembourg. But the first round had only 3,995 registered voters and 2,001 votes at the polls. Even so, Ambassador Julius Caesar Zelner of the Brazilian Consulate in Brussels celebrated high turnout this year, with more than half the registered voters, « this surprised us, a happy surprise. »

On Sunday October 28th, the movement was less intense than in the first round and, with more organization, voters were not taking as long to register for the vote.

Some young Brazilians, living in Belgium, are voting for the first time.

« I think a Bolsonaro victory will give voice to a part of the population that has outdated, racist, misogynist thoughts, opinions that have no place in modern society and do not improve one’s life, » said a 19-year old Brazilian, who preferred not to be named.

In the first round PSL candidate Jair Bolsonaro won in Brussels with 930 votes, followed by Ciro Gomes of the PDT with 367 votes and Fernando Haddad of the PT with 256 votes.

The post Brazil’s elections: Bolsonaro also wins in Belgium appeared first on Brussels Express.

This year the city of Rio de Janeiro and Brazilian cinema are the guests of honor. On this occasion, the organizers have decided to explore a different side to Brazil: people living in the margins, the Israeli intelligence service searching criminals of war, the rich history of Brazilian music and dance, parades of runway queens and exuberant transvestites.

At Cinema Galeries, a photographic exhibition shows the struggle of the minorities for a new kind of democracy. Several documentaries will show the country’s most recent situation and its political change. Among them, O Processo (Best Feature: Visions Du Réel 2018, Berlinale 2018) portrays the trial of Dilma Rousseff and her defense struggling to prove her innocence in the face of a corrupt system.

The festival aims to take viewers to discover the city through a selection of films that have been shot or are directly related to the culture of the country.

A giant screen of 8m x 15m will be installed at the sports area on the Left Bank of Brussels les Bains. The other sessions will be screened at Cinema Galeries.

Good to know:

Open air cinema (Brussels Beach, 22:00)

Thursday 02.08 :     Carioca (Flying Down to Rio)  (Thornton Freeland, 99′)
Friday 03.08 : La cité de Dieu  (Fernando Meirelles, Kátia Lund, 135′)
Saturday 04.08 : Rio 2096: Uma historia de amor e furia (Luiz Bolognesi, 98′)
Thursday 09.08 :     Une famille brésilienne (Walter Salles, 113′)
Friday 10.08 : Avril Brisé (Walter Salles, 90′)
Sataurday 11.08 :   Motorcycle Diaries ( Walter Salles, 126′)

Indoor cinema (Cinema Galeries):

05.08 / 15:00 : La Cité de Dieu (Fernando Meirelles, Katia Lund, 135′)
05.08 / 19:00 : Casa grande (Fellipe Barbosa, 117′)
08.08 / 19:00 : O Processo (Maria Augusta Ramos, 100′)
12. 08 /19:00 : Obscuro Barroco (Evangelia Kranioti, 60′)

The post Last days: L’heure d’été open air cinema – Rio de Janeiro appeared first on Brussels Express.

“At the moment of its conception, my goal was to increase the students’ exposure to modern Brazilian writers, to foster the exchange between students and literature,” said Leonardo Tonus, the festival’s founder and Professor of Brazilian Literature at Sorbonne University in Paris, where the first edition of the festival took place.

In 2015, Brazil was the guest of honor at the Paris Book Fair (Salon du Livre) and he saw an opportunity he couldn’t miss. He managed to convince several authors attending the fair to also come to the university. The students’ reaction was well worth the effort. At that moment, he saw the potential and reach of such a festival.

“After the success of the first couple of years, I decided to turn the Printemps Brésilien into a nomad festival where the places we visit change every year,” said Prof. Tonus.

In 2016 the festival traveled to the Netherlands, Germany and Italy; and in 2017 to Belgium, Portugal, Spain and France. At first the focus was on Brazilian writers but this year, with the support from the Camoes Institute, several Portuguese authors will also participate in the festival, which this year will tour through different cities in France, Belgium, Luxembourg. Then it will make its first appearance in the US in April, and the cities are: Chicago, IL, Columbus, OH, Albuquerque, NM, Tempe, AZ, and Providence, RI. Afterwards, the festival will have a second European tour with a different group of writers in May going to Berlin, Heidelberg and Athens.

“This is a slightly different literary festival from the average one,” said Prof. Tonus. “We have partnerships with over 15 universities in Europe and the US. And this is because for me, the most important aspect of it is that writers meet students. That’s when the festival really shines.”

Between the 19^th and 24^th of March, a dozen Brazilian and Portuguese authors, poets, translators and editors, visited the Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Ghent University, Antwerp University, the Embassy of Brazil, the Embassy of Portugal, the Librebook, Licorne and Filigranes book stores, the Cercle de Voyageurs, as well as the Saint-Jean Baptiste de La Salle Institute. With the support of the Camões Institute, Some of the authors coming to Belgium this year are: Gonçalo Naves, David Machado, Nuno Gomes Garcia, Dulce Maria Cardoso and João Pedro Pego.

When asked about the years to come, Prof. Tonus remains ambitious and full of dreams about the future. “My goal is to continue expanding to other geographies. Maybe the Poland and the Czech Republic, the UK as well. This is not only an event, it’s a movement. We believe it’s critical to get civil society engaged as much as possible to be able to change the world. That’s the only way.”

The post Brazilian and Portuguese Literature in Brussels appeared first on Brussels Express.

It is full of wonderful sites that are often overlooked by travelers to Brazil, and here are some of those must see places while in Foz do Iguaçu.

1) The Iguaçu Falls (Cataratas do Iguaçu)

The waterfalls of the Iguaçu River are located between Brazil and Argentina; on the border of the Argentinian province of Misiones and the Brazilian state of Paraná. They are the largest waterfalls system in the world, with more than 200 individual waterfalls. The biggest and most impressive is “the Devil’s Throat” (garganta do diabo), a U-shaped waterfall of 82 meters.

80% of the waterfalls are on the Argentinian side, allowing you to do a full hiking day to just take in the view. On the Brazilian side, you will get the chance to experience the falls from below and be on the edge of several of the waterfalls. You can even go on a boat ride around the waterfalls.

Visitors have the chance to be at the edge of several waterfalls while being surrounded by beautiful nature as the falls are part of a protected national park. You will also be able to see animals such as coatis and monkeys, but be careful they don’t steal from you.

2) The ‘Parque das Aves’

The ‘Parque das Aves’ (Portuguese for “Bird Park”) is located just in front of the entrance to the Iguaçu falls on the Brazilian side. The park offers a unique opportunity to be in direct contact with more than 1320 birds from 143 different species while walking in the natural lush Atlantic Rainforest. The park is managed by a non-profit organization that is very active in taking care of birds that are unable to continue living in nature without supervision or those that have been rescued from trafficking. So make sure to buy a souvenir and support the good cause.

3) The Itaipu Dam

This is a hydroelectric dam on the Paraná River located on the border between Brazil and Paraguay. As the Dam is located on the border, Paraguay and Brazil are both owners of it. In 2016, the Dam set a new world record for producing the most energy and surpassed the Three Gorges Dam in China. Today it can produce an amount of power that would be enough to supply the whole world with energy for 40 days.

Visitors can experience two different kinds of visits: the panoramic tour and the Special tour.
The first one is a bus tour making stops on the most important places at the top of the dam, giving you a panoramic view of both sides, while the other one will take you to the interior of the largest power generator in the world. It should be mentioned that the second tour is restricted to all children under the age of 14 years old, and it is mandatory to wear clothing under knee-length. Whichever one you choose, you are guaranteed to feel small, faced with this impressive structure.

4) The Triple Frontier

As you might have guessed from reading this article, Foz do Iguaçu is at the intersection of three countries: Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay. The Triple Frontier is the exact place where the tri-border area is, at the junction where the Iguaçu and Paraná Rivers converge. Every country has a marking that can be seen from all sides regardless of which country you are in.

Overall, Foz do Iguaçu is a magical place that deserves to be seen by more people around the world. Trust me; you won’t regret it!

The post Foz do Iguaçu: An adventure waiting to happen appeared first on Brussels Express.