G20 Radio Bulletin 74 - Film looks at Latin America from the perspective of the Global South

Award-winning Tropical Utopia debuts in Brazil with Noam Chomsky and Celso Amorim presenting the history of dictatorships and the rise of neoliberalism on the continent. Listen and find out more!

Reporter: The documentary "Utopia Tropical" stands out for the depth of the topics it addresses.

Amorim talks about the idea for the script: his wife, Valeria, who is Brazilian, arranged a meeting between them and my father. She was the one who encouraged me to make the documentary. To me, the best way to bring the two together is to talk about US policy towards Latin America, the critical vision of the two, who do not always agree with each other, but have a convergent perspective on the topic. And then the name came right away. In fact, the name came before everything, Tropical Utopia. 

Reporter: The presence of Ambassador Celso Amorim adds a Brazilian perspective to the conversation, enriching the narrative. The director faces this challenge proudly, considering a unique learning experience and highlighting the relevance of his father's work. Amid the difficulties he faced during production, Amorim emphasizes his determination to make a film that captures the essence of the conversation between these two renowned intellectuals, offering a unique perspective on the political history of Latin America and its contemporary challenges. Let's listen to another excerpt from the interview with João Amorim, director of the documentary Utopia Tropical.

Constructing the dialogue: But Valeria was very clear. There was to be nothing done with him walking the streets, nor giving lectures, nor even following his routine. It was going to be a conversation, and that was it. I worked as an animator for many years. I used this resource a lot in my work and I think it goes well with documentary language. It was hard work getting the images in good resolution, licensing them. The soundtrack also helped create this atmosphere, this lightness. 

Political Topics and the Boldness of Animated Features. What has people's acceptance been like?

We have participated in 12 festivals so far and in the three biggest in Brazil, Brasilia, Rio and São Paulo. We went to the Havana Festival, which is very renowned. we won awards in Venezuela and Portugal. The acceptance of the documentary on complex political topics, about almost half a century of the relationship between Latin America and the United States, from the perspective of two thinkers' conversation, has been surprisingly good. There's the phrase in the film's subtitle, history doesn't repeat itself, but sometimes it rhymes. We need to remain attentive. The documentary is also about the constant risk of falling into authoritarian clutches and of being under the control of people who basically have profit as a priority. As much as it may seem easier, it isn't necessarily so. 

Reporter: You can read the full interview with João Amorim, director of the documentary "Utopia Tropical", on the website g20.org.