The Storytellers

Eliane Caffé's 2003 Brazilian film follows a small town trying to save itself from being flooded by a dam. If the town's historical value can be proved the demolition may stop; but almost nobody can read or write, and the only man who can was driven out of town years ago. The idea is who holds the writing of history: the villagers tell their own stories, Biá writes them down, and each account is enlarged a little. That opens the difference between a lie and a legend. The oral tradition of northeastern Brazil forms the film's texture. The narrative is episodic and some stories are weaker than others. Who it's for: viewers interested in Brazilian cinema and films about oral history. Who it's not for: anyone wanting a straightforward story, or who will find an episodic structure scattered.