Xingu

FREELY BASED ON TRUE STORIES

I was 26 years old...

looking for a place in the world.

One day, I read in the papers that the government was organizing...

THE MARCH WEST. - the March West.

CLEARING THE WAY FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF BRAZIL

RONCADOR XINGU EXPEDITION LEAVING SOON

An expedition into the unknown regions of Central Brazil.

To open trails, build airstrips...

explore, and take control of the region.

Dozens upon dozens of peasants enlisted, eager for the measly wages.

Me and my brother enlisted eager for adventure.

There...

You look horrible.

It'll work.

Hired gun.

Put your mark here.

- Get your things. Name? - Agripino Pinto Silva.

- Age? - 50.

- Schooling? - No, sir.

Get your things.

- Name? - Jose Carlos.

- Age? - 25.

- Any schooling? - No, sir.

Take your things.

- What was your last job? - I'm a peon.

- Name? - Joao Carlos Santos da Silva, sir.

Almiro Almeida, sir.

Joao Pereira dos Santos.

Ariosvaldo Custodio da Silva.

- Age? - 29.

- Schooling. - None.

- Last job? - Miner.

Get your things.

- Name? - Claudio Villas Boas.

- What? - Claudio Villas Boas.

Schoofing?

No, sir.

- Last job? - Workman.

Sign here, please.

Leonardo Villas Boas, 24. I'm not picky, no, sir.

- Name? - Joao Pereira dos Santos.

- Age? - 40.

To walk where no on has walked before.

Go where no one has gone.

I don't really know why...

but it seemed liked an irresistible idea.

CITY OF SAO PAULO

Mr. Orlando, a telegram from your brother.

Thank you.

PEONS HIRED

WAITING FOR THIRD ILLITERATE CLAUDIO AND LEONARDO

We went to good schools.

- Had decent jobs. - Mark!

That's it!

But we traded it all for life in the wild.

RONCADOR - XINGU EXPEDITION VANGUARD

Colo!

Time to move!

OK, let's go. We're losing time. Put out the fire.

We always knew we could only be really free...

- It's the tributary of Xingu River. - In the great outdoors.

Go suck the devil's blood in hell.

And you too, you little prick.

Not even dad's farm had so many ticks.

Listen.

Is it a jaguar?

That's no jaguar.

It's Indians.

Shit!

- Shit. - Calm down, everybody OK?

- Lower your gun, damn it. - Shit!

- Put this out. - Check the mules.

Put out the fire. Put it out, put it out!

They're going to kill us.

But we can't kill them back.

Colo? Colo, look at this.

Look at this club, man.

Mr. Claudio, more than 20 Indians came this way.

Let's get out of here, Colo. We can go back from here.

- Calm down! - Let's go back.

Take it easy, Leonardo, calm down.

It's the Indians.

Something's strange.

What's all this smoke here?

There's smoke here, Colo.

- Here too! - They're surrounding us.

- They want to cook us alive. - Lower your gun!

Get down.

Shoot into the air. Into the air.

Let's get off their land.

- Good idea! - Let's go.

Break camp. Let's go, guys.

Let's get out of here!

What the government called unoccupied land...

in reality, had owners.

Orlando?

A fish trap.

XINGU RIVER

Orlando?

Look, over there.

Hide your guns. Indians.

Lower your gun.

Take it easy.

Claudio, there's too many.

There's more over there, look. On the left.

Leonardo.

Row.

Let's go, let's get out of here. Go!

Shit, he's going to shoot!

- He's going to shoot! - Leonardo, calm down!

- Calm down, Leonardo. - Go to the other side.

Shit, row!

What are going to do here?

- Wait. - Wait for what?

Nothing, just wait.

You're all crazy, let's go, let's get out of here.

- Let's go. - Leonardo! Take it easy!

We're going to have to talk to them sooner or later.

We can't keep running from them forever.

They don't look like Xavantes.

Yeah, they aren't.

Try this.

Orlando.

Come on.

- Orlando, Orlando, should I go too? - No. Stay here.

Orlando. Claudio.

Orlando. Claudio.

Villas Boas.

Give them whatever we've got.

Sugar.

What in the world?

- What's going on? - Where're they going?

Watch.

Airplane.

Land. Land. Airstrip.

We need an airstrip.

- Colo? - What?

All flat. East, west. All flat.

This is a good place.

Another three meters that way.

Thou shall not covet the Indians' women.

Leonardo, I'm serious.

We're going to fly over the airstrip before landing.

JACARE AIRSTRIP ONE YEAR AFTER FIRST CONTACT

Airplane. Flying over now.

- Airplane. - Fly over here.

Right. It isn't going to land now. It will land later.

It's coming, look.

Look. It's coming.

Look at the airplane, look.

Hey! Wait.

Izaquiri, hey! Izaquiri!

- They're scared. - Who wouldn't be?

Come on.

- Minister, sir. - Orlando.

- At your service. - How are you?

- How was your trip? - Fine. Where are the Indians?

They hid when the plane landed.

You did a good job.

To come this far without killing one Indian nor losing one white man.

That was our deal.

- Right, congratulations. - Thank you.

And this is only the beginning.

We're going to build a major outpost here.

This will be a city one day.

And, at the same time, we'll continue with the trail north.

You'll have to keep to the plan.

The next airstrip has to be finished, at the most...

by next year.

- Leaders? - Yeah.

I knew you'd accept.

I have to talk to Claudio.

I'll go call him.

Orlando, hire as many peons as you need.

Money isn't a problem.

I'll send you a plane, motorboats...

everything you need.

Excuse me.

- What's he doing? - Look at Colo.

Colo!

Holy shit!

What a utopia, man!

I could never have imagined. Look at that one there.

PEACEFUL EXISTENCE BETWEEN WHITE MAN AND INDIANS

TRIBES CONTACTED IN UPPER XINGU

For me, they weren't savages.

I had merely come face to face with another civilization.

VILLAGES IN UPPER XINGU

This encounter would change our lives forever.

This'll make you feel better.

What is it? What's wrong, Tatomai?

Sick people, at the village.

- At the village? - The village.

Wait here, Tatomai. We'll help you.

Medicine.

It'll do her good. Make her better.

Calm down, calm down.

This will make you better.

They don't have the slightest idea what this is.