Les fusils

A major film by Mozambican director Ruy Guerra and from Cinema Novo movement. With a remarkable cinematography and amazing sound, it portrays the harsh sun and the religiousness in Northeastern hinterlands. Besides unknown common people who represent collectively the very poor local population, the main cast brings many very nice actors, then young but who eventually would have longstanding successful careers. Religiousness appear throughout the film, as it is a trait of that traditional population. The preacher was a character that was recurrent in local history (Antônio Conselheiro being the most famous and influential) and the ox followed in the procession may be seen as an allegory of the constraints that foster acquiescence and deter the struggle for rights. The movie may be summarized into two elements: soldiers are sent not to feed starving people but to protect private property (a food storage) of the rich; the state and its agents see those hungry plagued human beings as objects, which may be purchased, used, thrown away or even definitely broken.