The screening of 'PANTANAL' - a powerful documentary exploring South America's largest tropical wetland

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• Luciana Leite
• Thursday 23 January 2025, 17:30-19:00
• Babbage Lecture Room, David Attenborough Building, Pembroke St, Cambridge CB2 3QZ.

If you have a question about this talk, please contact Albina Mamedova.

At the heart of South America lies one of the most stunning natural wonders on Earth: the Pantanal. Spanning over 15 million hectares across Brazil, Bolivia, and Paraguay, this majestic tropical wetland—the largest in the world—supports local communities, Indigenous peoples, and an extraordinary biodiversity. However, for decades, the Pantanal has been overlooked. Record-breaking fires in 2020 destroyed nearly a third of the entire wetland, partially altering this reality. The Pantanal began to be documented globally.

The Pantanal depicted in international media was a vision of hell: blazing landscapes and suffering wildlife, with Brazilian volunteers desperately fighting to save as many animals as possible. Yet the long history of neglect that made these fires possible remains largely unknown.

Now, a new 60-minute documentary from the Environmental Justice Foundation (EJF) uncovers this story and charts a hopeful alternative for the future. Join this journey through the Pantanal with two Brazilian environmentalists who, since 2020, have dedicated their lives to protecting this unique ecosystem. Alongside them, you will meet scientists, Indigenous leaders, and representatives of local communities who reveal the threats facing this extraordinary wetland while exploring remote areas and encountering astonishing biodiversity.

The film is a testament to the resilience of nature and people. It reminds us that the future of the Pantanal is yet to be written—that it can recover and thrive if we choose to support it. Join us for a story of hope, courage, and the possibility of better days for one of Earth’s greatest treasures.

Following the premiere in Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul, and screenings at the French Embassy in Brazil, as well as in Cuiabá, Mato Grosso, both in west-central Brazil, the film now arrives in Cambridge, United Kingdom.

This talk is part of the Pantanal series.

This talk is included in these lists:

• Babbage Lecture Room, David Attenborough Building, Pembroke St, Cambridge CB2 3QZ
• Pantanal

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