“Vaqueiros – Cowboys in der brasilianischen Dornensteppe”

Alpine and foreign cultures (), Lourdes Picareta 44 min

This film shows the everyday life of cowboys in Sertao, Brazil. They are called Vaquerios and with their martial leather outfits they look more like warriors than simple herdsmen. And they seem to feel like warriors when they roam for days through the thorn-bush steppe with their lightweight packs in order to collect the dispersed animals in the wide, almost endless plains. However, the sense of duty and honour among these cowboys, who live under poor conditions, has not changed. The camera is present when the Vaquerios ride at a gallop through the dense thorny brushwood and between the dangerous giant cactus without showing any regard for themselves or their horses. Their knowledge of healing substances in the local plants helps them cure their wounds.