Os olhos na mata e o gosto na água – The Eyes in the Woods and the Taste in the Water

Following the screening reading with Ilhami Peker and online talk with the filmmakers, moderated by Minze Tummescheit.

In Teewald, Brazil, a small settlement founded by German emigrants at the end of the 19th century, national identity is a complex issue. After several generations, the inhabitants still speak the language of their ancestors and celebrate a traditional festival every year to proudly proclaim the strength of their German roots. 

Painterly 16mm images of factories, landscapes, and festivals, all processed through multiple recopying and outmoded coloring techniques such as toning, take the viewer to a seemingly distant time from which stories of a harsh and fearful colonization originate. The filmmakers confront these stories with the contemporary narrative of the German-Turkish author Ilhami Peker, who, upon visiting Teewald, draws parallels to the migration history of his own family. Through this clever construction, the film calls into question the ongoing defense of a perceived national identity.

Minze Tummescheit reflects on social and economic issues in her experimental documentary works, which include lectures, performances, installations, and films. Based on interdisciplinary artistic research, her works transcend classical genre boundaries and are represented in both film festivals and art exhibitions. She is copine of cinéma copains [BH1] and has been a member of LaborBerlin since 2009.