Extremists.br | Freedom Talk: Decoding Radicalisation

Extremists.br (2024)

Threats and violence are common tactics of right-wing extremists within Brazil’s divided society. Their unprecedented attack on symbols of democracy was intended to trigger a coup and disrupt the peaceful transfer of power.

When right-wing incumbent Jair Bolsonaro was defeated by his liberal left-wing opponent Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in January 2023, thousands of disaffected voters attacked Brazil’s most important state buildings. The creators of the documentary began mapping the environment of far-right movements 2 years before these riots broke out. A disparate group of people operating in all walks of life often base their dogmas on false messages that have been normalized by the government of the day. A comprehensive probe into the practices of these extremists presents a portrait of political radicalisation and current forms of internet propaganda that can mobilise the masses.

• Runtime: 123 mins
• Country: Brazil
• Film Language: Portuguese
• Subtitle Language:  English

"With unnerving ease, the eight-part series captures how readily a captive audience takes to fastly-spread tall tales, with original and nuanced thought thrown out the window as devotees cling to their dogmas, waging war with cut and paste battle cries while the vivid green and yellow flag of their country hangs around their shoulders, representative of a certain painted-on patriotism." - Variety

Director

Caio Cavechini

Caio Cavechini is a Brazillian journalist and documentary filmmaker (“Marielle – The Crime That Shook Brazil”) who examines Brazil’s far-right movement, from the sociology of its radical idolatry to the underpinnings of corrosive propaganda campaigns through his latest documentary, Extremists.br

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