Half great armies, half democracies, the Quilombos were multi-ethnic communities remarkably resistant to Portuguese invasions. Quilombos by Carlos Diegues describes the rise and fall of Palmares, told through the epic battles of great heroes, the self-sacrifice of black slaves, and the victory against racism and slavery. In part, this film tells the story of the transfer of African culture to the Americas. The institution of slavery, which lasted longer in Brazil than in most colonies, is the very basis for mythologizing stories through the use of factual history as fictional context. Therefore, this film is not simply the story of a slave community attempting to recreate Africa. It is the ancient history of Brazil and, for this reason, the film redefines Brazilian national identity through myth and fantasy intertwined with the gruesome and oppressive history of the Afro-Brazilian community.