Dry Ground Burning

Sisters Chitarra and Léa are leaders of an all-female gang that refines oil drawn from an underground pipeline in their makeshift facility. They sell the gasoline they make to working-class motoqueiros, motorcycle-delivery riders who depend on it to survive in their Sol Nascente favela.

At once narrative documentary, crumbling sci-fi and classic western, Dry Ground Burning offers a tense, refracted reflection of what Brazil is today. The lines are clearly drawn before the upcoming battles, and the sisters’ are made with oil burning on dry ground.

Cinéma du Réel 2022 — Grand Prize

RIDM 2022 — Special Jury Prize

In collaboration with the RIDM