By Sarah Sluis
Part of the attraction of the Amazonas Film Festival is the city of Manaus, Brazil, itself.
Secretary of culture Roberio Braga explains Manaus' appeal. Next to him is a glass of Guarana, a popular local variety of soft drink that outstrips Coca-Cola in sales. Braga prefers Guarana, even if the festival's main sponsor is Coca-Cola.
Public buildings in Manaus, Brazil, often feature inlaid wood in strikingly different color combinations. The wood is from the Amazon rainforest. Pictured: Palacio Rio Branco, where we met Secretary of Culture Roberio Braga.
A small port near the downtown of Manaus, right near the opera house. The dry bank in the front shows how low the river is, as the Amazon River is in the middle of one of the worst droughts on record. Unlike the water-to-steps depiction in Werner Herzog's movie Fitzcarraldo, going to the opera house from the river requires a bit of a walk.
Downtown Manaus has many European-style buildings such as these, but many have fallen into a very film-esque state of disrepair. Nothing is left of this building but the facade, making it look like a movie set.
The Opera House, too, once started to be taken over by the jungle, and the building was used for football games. The area has since been restored, though the original wood and wicker seats are no longer in use.
I'm heading out of Manaus today, so look for one more recap of the festival on Screener.
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