On Wednesday, June 11th, the home of Brazilian cinema, the Cine Brasilia, will be the venue for the series launch "Cerrado: Heart of the Waters", composed of three short documentary filmsThe films highlight the importance of the Cerrado in providing water resources for Brazil and its connection with other Brazilian biomes. The event starts at 18:30 PM and will feature the directors, characters from the films, and a presentation of one of the landmarks of popular culture: the Teodoro's Ox.
Produced by the Institute for Society, Population and Nature, the series is part of the campaign “Cerrado: Heart of the Waters,” an initiative of socio-environmental organizations united in defense of the biome that is the most biodiverse savanna in the world. The short films show how the Cerrado connects with the Amazon, the Pantanal, and the Caatinga through water, highlighting its essential role in the country's water security and the threats that compromise this balance. Eight of the 12 largest hydrographic basins in South America originate in the Cerrado.
The public will be able to learn about the life stories and resilience of indigenous peoples and traditional communities, revealing the struggle of those who live in and protect these landscapes.
In addition to the film screenings, the event marks a moment of celebration of the culture, the Cerrado biome, and the popular memory of the Federal District, with the presentation of the Boi de Seu Teodoro, an intangible cultural heritage of the city, reinforcing the ties between culture and the environment. The Boi do Seu Teodoro originates from the culture of Maranhão, the Brazilian state that currently suffers the most from the deforestation of the native vegetation of the Cerrado.
Women of the waters present at the premieres
The premiere of the series “Cerrado: Heart of the Waters” will feature approximately 30 women who live in and fight for the protection of the Cerrado and its water resources. They are part of a political leadership training program. "Cerrativism, women of the waters", promoted by ISPN, and will be in Brasília on the date of the films' release.
Cerrativismo is a space for strengthening networks and collectively building solutions to protect the heart of Brazil's waters. The course seeks to strengthen the protagonism of women in the defense of the Cerrado, deepening knowledge about rights and public policies and supporting actions in defense of the biome's biodiversity. Both films related to the "Cerrativismo" course receive support from the Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF).
Service:
Launch of the films Cerrado: Heart of the Waters – connecting the Amazon, Pantanal and Caatinga
📅 Date: June 11, 2025
🕡 Time: 18:30 PM
📍 Location: Cine Brasília (EQS 106/107 — Asa Sul, Brasília/DF)
🎭 Cultural presentation: Seu Teodoro's Ox
🎬 Screening followed by a discussion with directors, characters, and socio-environmental experts.
Free admission | Single session
Synopsis:
The series Cerrado: Heart of the Waters takes the viewer on a journey through the waters that connect the Cerrado to the Amazon, the Caatinga, and the Pantanal, from their source to their confluence with major rivers. Based on accounts from indigenous peoples and traditional communities, the series highlights the threats to and destruction of the environment and the ways of life that protect nature.