"The Edge of Democracy" gave me the first "close contact" to the political ecology of Brazil. The 20-year struggle between the advocates of the democratic movement and the military government, the election of the charismatic leader of the Brazilian Labor Party, Lula, represents the interests of the oligarchs. The constraints of the Democratic Movement Party, Dilma's succession and conspiracy of impeachment, Lula's imprisonment, and the emergence of "Brazilian Trump" Jair Bolsonaro... a jaw-dropping political drama, through the perspective of director Petra Costa, a scene The curtain was unveiled.
The young female director Petra is the same age as Brazil’s democracy. Her grandfather was a construction contractor and a beneficiary during the oligarchy era. Her parents were fierce left-wing social democracy activists and even went to jail for fighting. Hiding, her special family background gave her a persuasive "personal perspective." Petra tells this story on the side of the Social Labor Party and Democracy. Her personal political stance, achievements in the documentary field, and family background have more or less helped her obtain the extremely valuable first-line filming license. So in the film, we saw the controversy in the parliament, Dilma watched his demeanor when he was impeached in front of TV, and Lula's speech before imprisonment. These crude materials were too bluntly revealed, which gave me a kind of reality. The feeling of suffocation came, but it also naturally empathized with leaders such as Lula and Dilma. After all, these are emotional experiences that are difficult to experience when growing up in China.
In the film, you can see a divided Brazil. The crowd in yellow and red clothes shouted slogans hoarsely. Even if the Brazilians with carnival genes don't know why they are fighting, they can't miss this carnival-like rally. After Dilma was impeached, Lula said that he regretted not doing more during his tenure, such as taking back control of the media by several big oligarchs. The ghostly but long-sleeved congressmen are well versed in the way of public communication. The righteous and passionate speeches, the tearful and weeping female congressmen who are inciting emotions, through the media-oriented communication made this sewage more and more muddled. Although the Labor Party does not necessarily represent justice, the political performance of these parliamentarians is truly absurd.
The chaos in Brazil has not yet ended. Social fragmentation has become a common problem faced by many countries. Behind it lies the uneven distribution of benefits, the ebb of global integration and the unsustainability of the original financial order. This is not a contest of colors for democracy or not, nor is it a competitive arena for politicians’ speech skills. The problems faced by mankind need to be solved by all countries. The political ecology of beggar-beggar-neighbors and mutual suspicion can inflame nationalist sentiments and bring short-term unity, but it can quench thirst. The self-paralysis will only make the future of mankind darker and unpredictable. Can the leaders of the world put aside the accusations of different ideologies, put aside their prejudices, and persevere and compromise to solve the problems we face today? If the answer is no, I am afraid that "the fringe of democracy" is not yet feared, and history will once again be pushed to the "edge of war."
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