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presents

SWEET DUTCH BRAZIL

DOCUMENTARY, 52MIN, HD
DIRECTED AND PRODUCED BY MONICA SCHMIEDT

In the seventeenth century, the Dutch invaded and attempted to colonize Brazil, lasting only 24 years, of which seven were ruled by Maurice of Nassau. That time is remembered as being better than today. Why would these Dutch invaders be missed?

United by a surname, two historians, Brazilian, Kalina Vanderlei and German, Sabrina van der Ley, meet in Recife and explore the mythology surrounding this brief period in Brazilian history. An example of that time extends to the surname Wanderley, which harks back to that "golden age" when Brazil was Dutch.

Together, Sabrina and Kalina explore Mauritsstadt (present-day Recife), the planned city built by Nassau, featuring an astronomical observatory and the largest bridge in the New World at the time. The two discuss the artistic and cultural legacy left by Nassau, trying to understand the reasons behind the nostalgia. Maurice of Nassau is defined by some Recife citizens as "the best mayor the city ever had".