This is Minas Gerais

Filming in Minas you will discover a region that has a singular diversity of natural environments and scenic views.

Within its territory, an area bigger than France, Minas holds one of the biggest mineral reserves of the planet. Wealth that, since XVIII century, drove the State growth.

Today, our economy is highly diversified. Besides the great capital goods industries, Minas has high technology industries, as the microchips producers in the Santa Rita do Sapucaí region and also advanced research centers, as the ones that had decisive participation in the Human Genoma Project.

In this State, the second richest state of Brazil, with 19 million inhabitants and the GDP of millions of dollars, the attractive modern scenarios have a counterpoint to be admired: the natural beauties.

With its lanscape rounded by mountains and a ramified hydrographic basin, Minas is the region that has the highest concentration of waterfalls in the world.

For the economy side, this means that the region has the greatest hydroelectric potential of the world and currently it produces electric energy for itself and for many other Brazilian states.

For the tourism side, this means many waterfalls and lakes, always full of visitors practising canoeing, rafting and many other adventure sports.

Once more, the contrast between the modern and the rustic is evident when we analyze transport in the State. Although Minas has the biggest national road and railroad network, and therefore, home of great Brazilian logistics companies, in this State, what drivers like most is to practice off- road with their cars: for years, the mountains of Minas have been synonymous of off-road sports. It is not difficult to cross with a motorcycle, a jeep, even bicycles, in any small piece of road that does not have asphalt.

The national parks, as the Caparaó National Park and the Ibitipoca National Park, are also attractions in the State, where the native vegetation and animal wildlife are protected.

In the State that has some of the biggest peaks of Brazil, the predominant climate could not be different: tropical of altitude. With annual average of 23°C and two well defined seasons: summer and winter, the climate is considered smooth, great for film activities all year around.

Minas History

In the XVIII century, Minas was the center of attentions. At that time, the precious stones and gold production brightened the eyes of the explorers.

The fame for their hospitality comes from that time, when the roads of Minas were full of "tropeiros" that traveled from the gold mines to the exportation ports in the coast.

Ouro Preto, today considered a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, was place of the most important rebellion against Portuguese domain.

At that time, political, artistic and cultural life in the State was very intense. As a result, Minas today has the biggest concentration of baroque sites of the Americas: they are rich in heritages that are present in the literature of Tomas Antonio Gonzaga, the painting of Mestre Ataíde, the sculptures of Aleijadinho and the beautiful architecture of that period.

The preservation of this heritage is so successful that, in Brazil, when thinking about film locations that get people back to the XVIII and XIX centuries, the first image that comes to the mind is of a typical Minas Gerais historical city.

With such a rich past, Minas became, of course, the State with the highest educational level in Brazil. Today, the universities are top of any "best of" list.

Here, were born, internationally known celebrities such as the writers João Guimarães Rosa and Carlos Drummond de Andrade, singers as Milton Nascimento, groups of dance as O Corpo and great human legends such as Santos Dumont and the football player Pelé.

Cineasta Humberto Mauro practically invented the Brazilian cinema. Pioneer and visionary, he developed the language and left an important legacy for the whole nation.

In politics, Minas always had national influence. In the 50´s and 60´s, President Juscelino Kubitschek de Oliveira, with the motto "50 years in 5", took Brazil to the biggest development period of its history. It was in his government, also, that the city of Brasilia was built, the current capital of Brazil.

The new federal capital, Brasilia, was drew and planned by Oscar Niemeyer, whose partnership with Juscelino begun on the beginning of the 40´s, when Juscelino was still the mayor of Belo Horizonte and Niemeyer created the Pampulha Architectural Complex.

The Pampulha Complex was the first great Brazilian modern construction. At that time it was misunderstood, generated controversy, and shocked the more conservatives. Today, it is widely studied as a landmark of modernism in the country and the world.

Also, in our days, huge business centers and many constructions built with innovative structures and materials can be seen at most of Minas Gerais large cities, reflection of the consistent economic growth.