Miguel Gomes’ ‘Savagery’ Finally Starts Production in Brazil

Over half a decade after it was announced, production is finally underway on Miguel Gomes’ “Selvajaria.” The update was shared on cinematographer Rui Poças’ Instagram account.

Gomes has spent many years attempting to make “Selvajaria,” also known as “Savagery,” an adaptation of Euclides da Cunha’s Rebellion in the Backlands, which tackles the 1897 war between the nascent Republic’s army and the inhabitants of Canudos.

Gomes was candid with us about Savagery, calling it “a tough film to do” and noting it needed “lots of construction” to depict “a village damaged by war.” Yet his ambition is undeniable, and there are too few filmmakers with his level of imagination not to be excited for what he will create here.

Gomes has established himself as one of international cinema’s most distinctive filmmakers, known for blending realism with poetic and fantastical elements. His breakout film was “Tabu”; he followed that with the ambitious three-part epic “Arabian Nights,” and most recently, he directed “Grand Tour,” a historical drama that premiered at Cannes, where Gomes won Best Director.