Documentary Projects Shortlist

Within Brazil, far from the Amazon, the Retomada da Terra movement aims to reclaim agricultural lands taken from the indigenous Guaraní people. Although this struggle pits them against agribusiness syndicates, coordinated efforts have empowered some Guaraní to reclaim parts of their sacred territory, which once flourished as the Atlantic Forest, but have since been replaced by soy and corn monocultures. The Guaraní’s fight isn’t solely for survival, but encompasses environmental advocacy, an opposition to chemical pesticides and the promotion of reforestation. In a landscape dominated by monoculture fields, where forests once thrived, they emerge as custodians of the land, often paying the ultimate price with their lives.

Renaud Philippe is an independent documentary photographer based in Quebec, Canada. For nearly 20 years, his work has focused on the long-term consequences, for civilian populations, of armed conflicts and climate disruptions. His work has been exhibited, among other places, at the National Museum of Fine Arts of Quebec, the Bangkok Art and Culture Center in Thailand, and in The Guardian gallery in London. Renaud regularly collaborates with the New York Times, the Globe and Mail, and Bloomberg.