Quilombo

When you think of Brazil, the images that come to your mind are probably the Amazon, Christ the Redeemer and the favelas. What you might not know is the history of slavery in Brazil. As in the United States, it was one of the most horrendous institutions in history, with kidnapped Africans worked to death on plantations.

No surprise that the enslaved people resisted. Many of them fled the plantations and formed their own communities, called quilombos. Carlos Diegues's "Quilombo" is about one of these in particular, called Palmares. This group of people did what they could to survive, and also made efforts to keep their heritage alive, cut off though they were from Africa. But the Portuguese weren't going to let them get away so easily.

At the very least, this movie will likely be an introduction to a largely forgotten part of history. I recommend it both for this, and for focus on how the quilombolas embrace their African heritage (dance, attire, etc). Check it out.