Basil (Short)

By Alvaro Nicotti*

The short film "Manjericão" stands out as one of the few works of fiction to sensitively address the issue of real estate speculation on the North Coast of Rio Grande do Sul. By telling the story of João and Maria, a couple who have cultivated a simple life connected to the land for over three decades in a quiet coastal town, the film transforms an intimate drama into a powerful metaphor for a much larger social and environmental conflict.

The imminent arrival of a modern building, a symbol of so-called "concrete progress," threatens not only the couple's landscape and routine, but also their emotional bonds. The aroma of basil, once a symbol of harmony and rootedness, becomes strange, out of place. This sensory shift reveals the subjective dimension of the forced transformation imposed by economic interests. What's at stake is not just the physical space, but an entire way of life, a sense of belonging, a collective memory.

Sensitively, the film illuminates the region's dizzying growth—recorded by the 2022 Census as the largest in the state, with a 25% population increase—and the dilemmas this expansion poses. The struggle between opposing development models is reflected in projects such as the new bridge over the Tramandaí River, the port in Arroio do Sal, the sewage treated as a commodity by Aegea Corsan, and the rampant verticalization in municipalities like Xangri-lá and Capão da Canoa. In the name of progress, wounds are being opened in the social and ecological fabric of the coast.

The film's screening at Cine Salinha Colarte in July was met with strong positive feedback. Audiences recognized the film not only for its narrative and aesthetic quality, but also for its political and pedagogical relevance. Thus, "Manjericão" is more than a sensitive piece of fiction: it is a silent cry against the logic that transforms the coast into a commodity and a call to resistance and care for what truly gives life its flavor.

Basil is directed by Eric Pauli and Raphaela Serafim.

* Professor, researcher and editor of the TemQueVer website.