Tapajós
The development of an analogue photograph is a form of alchemy, where images magically appear and vanish. In the early days of photography, mercury was used in this process—the same chemical element that has polluted the Tapajós River. Gabriela Carneiro da Cunha, an emerging voice in the international theatre scene, conducts a profound artistic investigation into the contaminated waters of her homeland Brazil and the women who live along the banks of the Tapajós.
Festival Brandhaarden
Location ITA
Duration 90 minutes
Genre Theatre
Language Portuguese and Munduruku
Subtitles English and Dutch
The Bookshop Aftertalk
Tapajós
Tapajós emerged from encounters with mothers who were poisoned by mercury in the Tapajós River, a result of illegal mining activities. The project evolved into an alliance of mothers: the Munduruku mothers, the fish mother, forest mother, river mother, and ultimately, the mothers in the audience. The performance is shaped by a ritualistic, multidisciplinary structure.
Using trays of water and photographic chemicals—and with the audience’s assistance—da Cunha creates a performance about river water, pollution, and photography as testimony. The words and bodies of women and river merge in a vivid exploration, a ritual with the audience as chorus, where the visible and invisible worlds are woven together.
-|-
On stage, Carneiro da Cunha develops large-scale images that tell the story of the river, its contamination, and the women fighting for healing. Tapajós is a performative ritual for the alliance of all human and non-human mothers, offering an immersive exploration of testimony and resistance.
Gabriela Carneiro da Cunha
Gabriela Carneiro da Cunha is a Brazilian artist dedicated to performance, directing, research, and artistic environmental activism. She is part of Aruac Filmes and the founder of the Margins Project – On Rivers, Buiúnas and Fireflies, a multilingual artistic initiative based on testimonies from Brazilian rivers affected by environmental disasters.
The project includes theatre productions such as Guerrilla or For Land There Are No Missing Persons and Altamira 2042, as well as short and feature-length documentaries, publications, debates, workshops, and the Buiúnas network, which connects women, rivers, and art.
To support artistic residency, land was recently acquired along the banks of the Xingu River. In theatre, Gabriela has collaborated with directors including Ariane Mnouchkine, Georgette Fadel, Felipe Vidal, Ivan Sugahara, Celina Sodré, Isaac Bernart, and Pedro Brício. She has also worked in film as a producer, screenwriter, assistant director, and actress.
3 February at 21:15 - The Bookshop
Aftertalk
After Tapajós, the creators invite you to an aftertalk that offers space for reflection, exchange, and connection. Together, we pause to consider the stories of the mothers, the river, and the pollution that affects them. How did you experience the performance?
In this conversation, we share thoughts on the role of art as a form of resistance, on the power of rituals, and on how bodies, images, and voices come together to reveal what often remains hidden.
Please note: this conversation will be held in English.
Brandhaarden
Brandhaarden is an international theatre festival that brings productions by remarkable theatre makers from abroad to Amsterdam. The festival offers a unique focus on one artist, company, writer, region, or theme. This year, we shine the spotlight on Théâtre Vidy-Lausanne, a house at the intersection of individual experience and collective concerns. It creates a space where today’s global themes resonate, are shared, and questioned. In a world that is increasingly polarized, Théâtre Vidy manages to touch a nerve and sharpen the audience’s critical gaze.
In previous editions, we highlighted directors such as Katie Mitchell, Milo Rau, and the collective Rimini Protokoll; writer Édouard Louis; the Southern European region (Portugal, Spain, Italy, and Greece); and city theatres like Münchner Kammerspiele, Volksbühne Berlin, and Peter Brook’s Théâtre des Bouffes du Nord.
Credits
Conception and Direction Gabriela Carneiro da Cunha and the Tapajós River
With Gabriela Carneiro da Cunha and Mafalda Pequenino
Creation in Process Sofia Tomic, João Freddi, Vicente Otávio, Mafalda Pequenino, Gabriela Carneiro da Cunha
Assistant Director Sofia Tomic
Photography Gabriela Carneiro da Cunha, Vicente Otávio, João Freddi
Photographic Technique João Freddi, Vicente Otávio
Image Editing Gabriela Carneiro da Cunha, João Freddi, Marina Schiesari, Sofia Tomic, Vicente Otávio
Text Editing Manoela Cezar, Gabriela Carneiro da Cunha, João Marcelo Iglesias, Sofia Tomic
Dramaturgy Alessandra Korap, Maria Leusa Munduruku, Ediene Munduruku, Chief Isaura Munduruku, Ana Carolina Alfinito, Paulo Basta, Julia Ferreira Corrêa, Rosana Farias Mascarenhas, Dalva de Jesus Vieira, Osmar Vieira de Oliveira, Celiney Eulália de Oliveira Lobato, Rodrigo Oliveira, Mauricio Torres, Eric Jennings
Munduruku–Portuguese Translation Honesio Dace Munduruku
Technical Direction Jimmy Wong
Lighting Design Jimmy Wong
Lighting operator Matheus Espessoto
-|-Sound Felipe Storino
Sound Technique and Multimedia Creation Bruno Carneiro
Sound and subtitles operator Lilla Stipp
Costumes Sio Duhi
Scenography Sofia Tomic, Ciro Schu, Jimmy Wong
Exhibition Scenography Marina Schiesari
Consulting Raimunda Gomes da Silva, Dinah de Oliveira, Tomás Ribas
Finance Alba Roque, Tárik Puggina
Communication Jessica Laurino, Fernando Pivotto
Support and Partnerships Fotoativa Association, Clube do Analógico
Associated Production Pariri Munduruku Women’s Association, Sairé Association
Territorial Production Carolina Ribas
Production Yara Ktaish
General Production Gabi Gonçalves
Production Companies Corpo Rastreado, Aruac Filmes, Théâtre Vidy-Lausanne, Projeto Margens
Distribution in Europe Théâtre Vidy-Lausanne
Co-production Wiener Festwochen | Free Republic of Vienna, Festival d’Automne in Paris, Les Spectacles vivants – Centre Pompidou (Paris), Halles de Schaerbeek, Kunstenfestivaldesarts (Brussels), La rose des vents – national stage Lille Métropole – Villeneuve d’Ascq / Next festival, Théâtre Garonne (Toulouse), International Summer Festival Kampnagel (ongoing)
Support for Research and Development Manchester International Festival
Brandhaarden is financially supported by
