“Thomas Reis’s documentaries occupy a very important place in the history of Brazilian silent cinema (Reis was the only cameraman/director of the era who made significant economic profits from his cinematographic profession).

Few films of this era are at our disposition today. The vast majority of these insist on dwelling on the myth of the natural beauty of Brazil: the huge waterfalls, the tropical forests, hunts and the “savage” indians reinforce the idea of an immense Eldorado to be discovered and exploited.

Reis, on the contrary, looks upon the cinema as a precious instrument of scientific revelation, where the “artistic” contribution of the emperor-director is never relegated to second place. His documentaries always seek to objectively describe reality, so assuming an important role in the process of the formation of the Brazilian national consciousness of the 1920s and 1930s: and also on the delicate subject of the assimilation/westernisation of the indigenous population. And if, as documented, some of the Indians portrayed in Reis’s films have disappeared in the following decades, it must be clearly stated that this is not on account of the Major and Rondon’s exploration and diffusion work. They instead (the latter for more than fifty years) carried out a complex task of wardship and defence of the indigenous peoples through Serviço de Proteçao aos Indios, a body in existence since 1912”.

(Carlos Roberto de Souza)