An estimated 20,000 Southerners emigrated to Brazil right after the Civil War.

An estimated 20,000 Confederates emigrated to Brazil right after the Civil War. It was the biggest political exodus in U.S. history. In a strange new land the Confederates built their last colony and held their stand where their descendants, speaking Portuguese, remain to this day. The story of this expatriate enclave has been documented by the award-winner Carlos Tavares, a native of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, who resides in California. He encompassed a history lesson with a foreign perspective on a major chapter in American history. "To me, the story is about freedom. Here we have people of mixed races, flying their distinct flags freely and participating in the same event. A salute to the voices of their Confederate ancestors. A lesson for all of us", says the director Carlos Tavares.—Mauro Blanco