Join us on Thursday 14 August in Parc Baile for a screening of Brazilian documentary film Chão, directed by Camila Freitas, as part of Cinéfaçade: Sowing and Resisting in Brazilian Topography.

In Brazil, the struggle for land is deeply rooted in the history of slavery, the dispossession of Indigenous communities, and the expansion of agribusiness. For more than forty years, the Landless Workers’ Movement (Movimento dos Trabalhadores Rurais Sem Terra or MST) has embodied a unique form of grassroots organization based on ideals of social justice, food autonomy, and agrarian reform. Today, hundreds of thousands of families are organizing to occupy unproductive land, farm collectively, build schools, and reinvent ways of living in community.

Over the course of four years, Chão follows the occupation of an abandoned sugar factory in the central-western area of the country, a region historically marked by land ownership conflicts. Following in the tradition of observational cinema, the film moves beyond portraying an encampment, capturing with finesse and sensitivity the complexity of daily political processes. Between assemblies, harvests, legal battles, and growing threats of repression, landless families imagine other ways of living and defending their territory.

7:30pm: Musical performance by Maracujá, snacks and refreshments by Bah! Café
8:30pm: Screening of Chão, 2019, 110 min
English and French subtitles

In case of rain, the event will be held in the Shaughnessy House and Paul-Desmarais Theatre.

The event free and open to the public. To register, follow this link.

The band Maracujá, whose name translates to “passionfruit,” was formed in 2003. Since then, Maracujá has become a reference for Brazilian music in Montreal. Their vibrant and dynamic sound is carried by the palpable synergy of four musicians with rich cultural heritage: Elie Haroun (vocals), André Faleiros (bass), Sacha Daoud (drums), and John Sadowy (keyboards).

Cinéfaçade continues on 21 and 28 August, with film screenings and musical performances in Parc Baile.