Dry Ground Burning (2022)

[Cremildo]

BERLINALE 2022: In the Brazilian favela of Sol Nascente, an all-female crime ring makes a play on the illegal gasoline trade in this bracing docu-drama mashup by Adirley Queirós and Joana Pimenta.

A cliché in cultural writing, which has gladly gone out of fashion a little, is reflecting on how turbulent times tend to produce great art. But at times, we can return to this well and observe how the current situation in Brazil is leading to work with such a kick and fight to it, that combines ardent political awareness with a forward-thinking form. Kleber Mendonça Filho’s Bacurau [+] is one of the key works of this movement, and now in its wake, we have Dry Ground Burning by co-directing team Adirley Queirós and Joana Pimenta, trading the former film’s remote backcountry for its sprawling favelas, whilst echoing its love for the peak 80s sci-fi of George Miller and John Carpenter. The film premiered in Berlinale’s Forum section, where it was one of the best-received in that strand. source