Descaminhos (2007)

A road movie by rail through four Brazilian states, 55 cities and 8.000 km of railways. A documentary, eight directors and six episodes taking place in natural landscapes and urban settings that proposes an anthropological voyage through cities and the lives of the communities alongside the tracks. The trains as conductors of history and the tracks like a way through time. A recording of the past by means of memories and observation of contemporary space based on daily living and the transformation of places provoked by the presence or disappearance of the train. During the 36 days of filming, the directors of Dead End travel over six stretches of railroads in Minas Gerais, Bahia, Espírito Santo and Rio de Janeiro states. They pass through economically developed regions and as well as small towns. Based on testimony on the present and the past, an ample picture of everyday life is drawn in the distinct communities that maintain one point in common - the railroad.