Mother of the Amazon – Witness

The arrival of the massive Belo Monte Dam in northern Brazil represents a clash of realities for this ‘Latin Tiger’ economy.

There is the ever-increasing demand for sustainable energy balanced against the impact on those people trapped in the path of this dramatic change. The dam’s construction has displaced thousands of people and hundreds of villages but also represents valuable work filling a desperate economic need.

However, there is irrevocable damage to family life along the path of the Amazon’s altered waterways. There has been a spike in domestic violence and an inceasing number of families are falling apart under the stress of dislocation.

Edizangela, part activist, part therapist and full-time community counselor is leading the fight to end the rising tide of increased family violence and self-destruction and gain a voice for those being dislocated.

By following Edizangela as she navigates these fragile family ties, this story also looks at her relationship to the outside world and explores the poetic balance between strengths and weaknesses, tension and love, kindness and suffering.

Through her endeavors we see a strong woman whose work and life can be transformational and inspiring to those around her.