Documentary “Accounts of a War Correspondent in the Amazon” is a tribute to British journalist Dom Phillips, who was killed in the Javari Valley along with indigenous expert Bruno Pereira. Reflecting on the complex nature of press coverage in the Amazon-, the film follows the journey of experienced Brazilian reporter Daniel Camargos as he covers the search for his missing friend.

While we witness the backstage of this coverage, Camargo’s first-person narration leads to an intimate and provocative reflection on the role of journalism in the world’s largest rainforest. After hearing about the brutality of what happened to Dom and Bruno, who were murdered and dismembered, Camargos wonders if “it’s worth carrying on”.

The documentary follows Camargos’ steps as he moves deeper into the Amazon. Indigenous resistance, as they’re faced with the loss of so many of their own, takes on a whole new significance for the professional reporter.

His first stop after Vale do Javari is Araribóia Indigenous Land where more than 50 members of the Guajajara community were murdered over the last 20 years. They have taken the protection of the forest into their own hands and formed an army-like structure to fight loggers and miners who threaten their way of life. In the eyes of the Guajajara, this is a war against invaders, hence the term used in the title of the film.

The journey continues on to Munduruku Indigenous Land, where sick children have been contaminated by mercury used in mining. We see strong images that expose the horrors of the undeclared war in the Brazilian Amazon.

“Accounts of a war correspondent in the Amazon” is directed by Ana Aranha and Daniel Camargos and produced by Repórter Brasil. The film won the Journalism Human Rights Award (Prêmio de Direitos Humanos de Jornalismo), one of the most traditional in Brazil.