First stage:
From July-December 2001, we visited 16 communities in the states of Amapá, Pará, Amazonas, Roraima and Acre: 3 were indigenous and 13 were riverside,. We filmed hours –and took hundreds of pictures- of toys, games, and local children’s culture. We organized play exchanges that sought to teach children and adults about the lives of children from other parts of Brazil. These encounters either occurred informally or were arranged in the form of workshops given to community educators and representatives of the NGO’s that partnered with BIRA.

Second Stage:
We crafted short films from the audio-visual material collected, one of which, “BAMBEIA,” won awards at four Brazilian film festivals (see “videos and publications.”)
We organized these films and other materials collected into presentations that we give in schools and other institutions (see “presentations and agenda”)


Third Stage:
Since 2002, we have begun returning to the communities with copies of the short films, raw footage, and pictures that resulted from the initial visits. Besides leaving them with copies of this material, we present films and pictures recorded in other Amazonian communities, as well as other parts of Brazil. The play exchange continues: we teach new games and document new material. In the end we explain what our next steps will be with this material.

Fourth Stage:
We’re currently finalizing a medium–length documentary, and a DVD with short films directed towards education. We’re also working on a book containing the best pictures and experiences registered since 2001.