Written by Neil Turner
The study of Maroon sites is a rich and virtually untapped area that can advance our knowledge of enslaved Africans in the Americas. There are a number of more specific reasons this area of research is important, but the documentary, Maroons – the Great Palmares, introduces new perspectives on concepts such as the holistic-monolithic nature of cultures, diversity within communities, heterogeneous societies, and how interpretations of past historical events can be affected by modern research.
In describing the development of maroon sites, research conducted by Dr. Terrance Weik, professor at the Department of Anthropology, University of South Carolina reviewed accounts of the early Spanish chroniclers and clearly defines the important role of early maroon settlements in Jamaica and the Dominican Republic. Also, cultural anthropologist, expert in African diaspora, and professor at the University of Texas in Austin, Dr. Sheila Walker, (who speaks fluent Brazilian Portuguese), states that the first African culture in the Americas took place in Brazil. Even more striking, she supports the idea that the second African nation in the world appeared in Brazil. Both these scholars support the idea of the important role maroon societies in North, Central and South America played in the history of the African diaspora.
The documentary Maroons, the Great Palmares introduces the almost century-long rise and fall of the Quilombos of Palmares in Northeast Brazil during the 17th Century. This story is an important account not only because of its historical significance but also because of several incredibly powerful elements such as slavery, rebellion, heroism, betrayal, internal and external conflict, politics, economics and tragedy. Here we see, a classic story of the struggle and fight for freedom and equality of enslaved people throughout the Western hemisphere.
After more than a year’s research of major historians and secondary sources on the subject, and a review of several accounts of the story, (those provided before 1940, and those after 1940), the researchers of Maroons discovered that only a small portion of the history of Palmares has actually been told. In order to sort out some apparent inconsistencies between Dutch and Brazilian accounts of events that took place, the documentary introduces summaries between some of the scenes. These summaries go some way toward clarifying contrasting elements of the traditional story, and are based on textural evidence gathered across several different sources.
In the early 17th Century, a group of escaped slaves established settlements in the high mountain ranges of Brazil. The Portuguese and Dutch try everything they can to crush their settlements but for more than 93 years they fend off all their attacks. The protagonist of the story is Zumbi dos Palmares, the King and war chief of the Quilombos dos Palmares. The story develops slowly and increases in drama and suspense throughout four chapters – “The Early Years;” “When Worlds Collide;” “The Betrayal of the King;” and “They are Coming.” In the first chapter, each sequence provides new information about Palmares – “The Early Years.” The second chapter increases the tension and suspense in the chapter “When Worlds Collide.” The third chapter introduces how the previous King, Ganga Zumba was poisoned, and Zumbi subsequently becoming the King of Palmares. The final chapter “They are Coming” tells the story of the final destruction of Palmares and the execution of Zumbi.
In keeping with the narrative style of long-form historical documentaries, this work emphasizes story and attempts to immerse the viewer into the gritty, conflict-based subject matter of the slavery period. Also, it is a combination of archival material, live cinematography, Artificial Intelligence (AI) generated graphics, and summarizes crucial points. The documentary was created by a small team of talented creatives with sound experience in their respective areas. It uses AI technology to reconstruct certain scenes to deliver its message. Although the use of AI technology is still very new and has the tendency to diminish the “authenticity” of the narrative, the production team points out that AI is just one of the Internet Communication Technologies (ICTs) they are experimenting with in their efforts to discovver new methods in ethnography. They are also experimenting with new ways to modify the classic interview format used in traditional documentaries. Also, one of the dominant elements of the documentary is the soundtrack. Interestingly, the original music by Swedish composer Hampus Naeselius complements the documentary giving it a truly cinematic background for the story. This documentary should appeal to audiences such as historians, educators, national libraries, public broadcasting, and those educational initiatives that focus on heritage documentation.
What is important here is this documentary presents a virtually untold story on slavery in the Americas, and provides a path to understanding many points not commonly known about this subject.
Published by
Neil Turner
