Vladimir Herzog seated at the base of the cross with two children.

Photograph of Vladimir Herzog and children, registered by Maria da Graça Soares Mascarenhas, during research in the region of Nova Canudos (BA), Brazil, in February, 1975. Journalist Paulo Markun, in the book “My dear Vlado”, suggests that Herzog had already planned a documentary about Canudos and Antônio Conselheiro since the Arne Sucksdorff Seminar, in 1963. However, it was only in 1975, having left TV Cultura and leaving Visão Magazine, that this project began to take shape. In February, Herzog traveled to the region, from where he brought back two hundred photographs of the physical and human aspects of the places where he had been. In addition, he sketched a draft of research notes, screenplay and script for the documentary.