Systems Down: Challenging the status quo
As Brazil's death toll surpasses a quarter of a million, President Jair Bolsonaro tells Brazilians to "stop whining." Leading his country through a global pandemic with denialism, propaganda and unchecked bravado, he has brought his country to the edge of disaster. This immersive documentary rolls back the clock to when the pandemic first started, telling the story of the frontline journalists who were desperate to warn the country of an impending public health disaster. Sieged holds up an uncanny mirror to the events in the US, as Brazilians see their health ministers fired and undermined, racially motived killings proliferate, and journalists disempowered and blamed every step of the way with allegations of reporting fake news. Told from a journalist's perspective, this documentary takes viewers behind the scenes, into the newsrooms, behind the cameras and into the press scrums for a deeper view of the political turmoil and corruption brought to light as COVID-19 hit Brazil. Heather Haynes
Co-presented with Journalists for Human Rights
This event has been financially assisted by the Ontario Cultural Attractions Fund of the Government of Ontario through the Ministry of Heritage, Sport, Tourism and Culture Industries, administered by the Ontario Cultural Attractions Fund Corporation.