of Tucurui. MAKING documentaries is a strange ocupation. It is not easy to be aware if you are changing people's political consciousness and awareness to the point where action around the issues will be significantly altered.
Ofcourse the truism that television is the most powerful right. The old maxim that 'the pen is mightier than the sword no longer rings true. Not because computers have replaced the pen, but because time-based information is replacing that of the phen i went to Brazil, I carried with me letters of solidarity for the trade unionists of Amazonia from Oxford and District Trades Council, Against Pit Closures and South Vales NUM I was invited to address meetings of women strikers in the fish-processing and Brazil nut industries, trade unionists in the pubic sector, caucanon and health, and the annual assembly of women trade uron ists in South Para. Not invited as a channer e television aires tor, but as a 'companheira', sister trade unionist and socialist.
My awareness of the great re sponsibility I carried in making the film became clear whenever 1 was presented to a group of rural women workers as 'the comrade who is making our film, who will tell our story'• Clearly, the most important judges of whether we fulfilled our responsibilities in this re spect, are the women of Para and the trade unionists whose struggle we covered. We discusseu the script ana coverase of their struggles with the women themselves. They now want to show the completed video and production photos throughout the movement wherever they can get hold of a video. Other Brazilian trade unionists are also requesting copies.
But our responsibility does not end here, now that the programme nas been wrusnea ar shown on Channel 4. We have to ensure that it is seen. dis. cussed and acted on, for a whole range of reasons. But the primary reason is that the struggles seen in the film are urgently in need of internaBrazil.
If you missed AMAZON SISTERS on Channel 4, or make sure you or your organisation get hold of the video, avail Stables, North Place, Oxford, OX3 9HY. Tel: 0865 60074. Page 10 Feb. 29, 1992 No. 17 Sisters', now being used to build support for the Brazil Network Chico Mendes Solidarity Fund. Here, the film's director, ANNE MARIE SWEENEY, looks at both the experience of making the film and probably the most immediate struggle in need of solidarity - that of the rural workers Health workers fight epidemics and cuts ional support One of the most immediate of these is that of the rural workers in Tucunst. Their fight centres around the Tucurui dam, completed in 1984 by the state electricity company Electro-Norte. electric dam in the Amazon. 2,430 square kilometers of tropical forest and required the forced resettlement of 23,871 peoplc, including indigenous peoples. It was the dam that 'inspired' the film 'The Emerald Forest'. Capemi, a pension company, won the contract to clear the forest before flooding. Though it was paid, they in fact failed to clear the area. If ever there was a case that warranted the de mand to 'open the books", this eMaide Barreiros from thetrade union federation CUT in South Para said in a recent letter:
They want new land that is not contaminated by mosqitos. But Electro-Norte denies this right and is passing responsibility on to the state governor, Jader Barbalho, who denies the responsibility is his.
Meanwhile hundreds of rural workers - men, women and children-are facing major difficulties; children are being born but there is no way the can return to their old lands as nothing much exists there- the mosquitos have taken over 3нWomen protest for land rights everytning.
The situation is really wor rying The Rural Workers' Trade Union is leading the struggles, but besides these dil ficulties they face the most seri ous question of lack of money:
Other major hydro-electric dams are now planned in Brazil and the Amazon area. Forced relocation is once again being Meanwhile in June 1992, Brazil's capital Rio will host one of the world's biggest conferences - the United Nations Barth Summit on the Environment and Development.
Socialists and internationaChico Mendes Fund lists have a central responsibility not to continue the left's traditional neglect of these fundamental concerns, and leave isstes of enormous importance - affecting the lives of millions and - to be cians and bureaucrats who are central in creating the problems in the first place.
There are sixteen regional conferences throughout Britain that will be discussing issues for the Earth Summit. The issue of many others,