TV Brasil documentary series wins recognition at festival

The series Fortes do Brasil, an original TV Brasil production, won the Apollo Trophy for best script at the 2022 Militum Festival. Military History Cinema. The award was given to the episode released by the channel in 2019, at the premiere of the series, with a panorama over the Fortress of Santa Cruz da Barra, located in Niterói, Rio de Janeiro. In all, the documentary series created by the public broadcaster’s team had three programs selected among the 22 competitors chosen to compete for the laurel in eleven categories. The finalists were exhibited during the IV Festival Militum promoted in September, in Rio de Janeiro. With more than 23 hours of audiovisual content, the contest gathered 37 documentaries, eight works of fiction and five animations. In addition to the attraction about the Fortress of Santa Cruz da Barra, the episodes about the Fortress of São João and Fort Duque de Caxias gained prominence. The seven documentaries from the first season shown by the public channel on the small screen and the six from the second are available to watch on the TV Brasil Play app. The realization of the series Fortes do Brasil mobilized several EBC professionals. With the direction of Carlos Colla, responsible for the original idea, Poliana Guimarães and Leonardo Dias, the production of unpublished materials involved the work of specialists from different sectors of the company. Production Challenges To present a historical perspective on the country’s most important fortresses and forts from a thought-provoking perspective for the viewer. With this motto, the core of TV Brasil documentaries guided the work to elaborate the series Fortes do Brasil. According to the producers, the team sought to specialize in the dissemination of historical materials from the perspective of various interlocutors to bring plurality and credibility to the contents. “Achieving recognition from various sectors of society shows that we are on the right path, in the mission of informing and disseminating relevant knowledge”, they assess. The work of research, production and realization went through several stages to organize the idea and put the project on the air. “We sought interviewees from different areas, civil and military historians, who could bring different views of the world, in addition to talking with people who had their lives impacted, in some way, by these historic sites.” The static perspective was also present in the conception. “We selected the locations with great care so that the aesthetic part of the series had a direct relationship with each period to be portrayed during the episodes. The content was formatted in the editing room by the team of producers, directors, screenwriters and editors”, highlight the directors . They reinforce the purpose of Fortes do Brasil. “The purpose of the series is to tell a little of the country’s history through the most emblematic places in the defense of our territory, the fortifications erected from the 16th century onwards in Portuguese America”, they conclude. The production of the series is signed by Poliana Guimarães, Leonardo Dias and Rafael Tavares. Editing by Diego Lourenço. The script for the first episode of the premiere season about the Fortaleza de Santa Cruz da Barra, awarded at the IV Militum Festival, was developed by Leonardo Dias and Rafael Tavares. Award-winning episode The first edition of the Fortes do Brasil series covers the Fortress of Santa Cruz da Barra, a space with a constructed area of ​​more than seven thousand square meters in the Jurujuba neighborhood, in Niterói, in the Metropolitan Region of Rio de Janeiro. Historians and professors help tell this trajectory. The series’ debut season follows the country’s history through the importance of the fortifications that are now open-air museums. The sequence of editions presents the Guanabara Bay Defense Complex. The constructions protected the region of Rio de Janeiro, an essential point for navigation in the South Atlantic and which was disputed by several nations. Defense was essential for the success of the Portuguese occupation in America and, later, for the sovereignty of Brazil. Considered one of the first fortifications in Guanabara Bay, the Fortaleza de Santa Cruz is one of the largest maritime constructions of its kind in Latin America. The strategic location at the entrance to the bay favored the protection of the national territory. The fortress was decisive in preventing French and Dutch invasions. It was also actively involved in conflicts such as the Revolta da Armada and Tenentismo. The construction walls keep the memory of pirates, navigators and many legends. The main moments of Fortaleza de Santa Cruz are narrated by historians and characters who are part of this history. The origin dates back to the year 1555 when Villegaignon improvised a fortification to defend the entrance to Guanabara Bay. Taken over by Mem de Sá two years later, the area was expanded, receiving the name “Nossa Senhora da Guia”, the embryo of the Fortress of Santa Cruz. The building underwent renovations and had its firepower increased by order of the Viceroy Conde de Cunha, aiming to protect the shipment of gold from Minas Gerais, in the port of Rio de Janeiro. The fortress participated in important moments in Brazilian history. As a prison, it received illustrious figures from the country such as José Bonifácio, Bento Gonçalves and Euclides da Cunha. During the Old Republic, construction played an important role in the Revolt of the Armada. In 1922, in the Lieutenant Revolt, the Fortress of Santa Cruz opened fire on Fort Copacabana. His last shot, against the cruiser Tamandaré, was fired in 1955. Festival Militum Conceived and directed by filmmaker Daniel Mata Roque, Festival Militum is organized by Pátria Filmes. The event is in partnership with the Institute of Geography and Military History of Brazil (IGHMB), the Center for Studies and Research in Military History of the Army of the Directorate of Historical and Cultural Heritage of the Army (CEPHiMEx/DPHCEx) and the Academy of Terrestrial Military History do Brasil – Rio de Janeiro Section (AHIMTB-RIO). Also in the organization are the National Association of Veterans of the Brazilian Expeditionary Force – Central Direction (ANVFEB) and the Society Friends of the Navy – Rio de Janeiro (SOAMAR-RIO). The initiative also has the support of the Ancient Military Vehicles Club of Rio de Janeiro (CVMARJ), the FEB Portal and the CH Group. Live and on demand Follow TV Brasil programming through the open channel, cable TV and satellite. Tune in: https://tvbrasil.ebc.com.br/comosintonizar. Your favorite shows are on TV Brasil Play, via the website or via smartphone app. The app can be downloaded for free and is available for Android and iOS. Also watch on WebTV: https://tvbrasil.ebc.com.br/webtv.

Agência Brasil