The story of rainforest defender, Chico Mendes, that ended with his 1988 assassination.
The series concludes with the story of Chico Mendes whose brutal murder on December 22, 1988, provoked international protest and brought worldwide attention to the problem of Amazonian deforestation. The film follows his rise to prominence as the leader of the rubber-tappers, or seringueiros. The seringueiros have lived in the rainforest for over 100 years, susbsisting by tapping native rubber, collecting Brazil nuts, and other ecologically sustainable activities. Seeing their way of life threatened, Mendes formed the seringueiros into a union and led the fight to halt the devastation of the rainforest and to create protected areas, called "extractive reserves," to be managed by local seringueiros communities.
Award
~ Gold Apple, National Educational Film & Video Festival
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