It's All True (film) - "Four Men On A Raft"

"Four Men On A Raft"

The third part of the film was inspired by an article Welles read in the December 8, 1941 issue of Time titled "Four Men on a Raft". The story was about four impoverished Brazilian fishermen who set sail from Fortaleza on the "São Pedro", a simple sailing raft (jangada), in September, 1941. After 61 days and 1,650 miles without any navigating instruments, braving the wind, rain and fierce sun, and making many friendly stops along the way, they sailed into Rio de Janeiro harbor as national heroes. The four men, led by Manoel Olimpio Meira who was called "Jacaré" (alligator) after the village where he was born, had arrived in what was then the Brazilian capital to file their grievances directly to President Getúlio Vargas against an economically exploitative system in which all fishermen were forced to divide half of their weekly catch amongst themselves (the other half went to the jangada owners) and that they were ineligible for social security benefits. The result was a bill that was signed into law by President Vargas that entitled the jangadeiros to the same benefits awarded to all union laborers - retirement funds, pensions for widows and children, housing, education and medical care.

The reenactment of this epic voyage, which used the same title as the Time article and was filmed in black & white without sound, was to become the centerpiece of It's All True. It also cost the life of the leader of the four jangadeiros. During filming in May, 1942, Jacare fell from a jangada and was swallowed by a treacherous ocean current. His decomposing head and both of his half-devoured arms were discovered a week later when a 440-pound shark caught off Barra da Tijuca was opened.