International correspondent

Brazilian director Marianna Brennand's drama “Manas,” about a 13-year-old girl abused in the heart of the Amazon, has won the Venice Days director's award.

Helmed by Walter Salles and the Dardenne Brothers, “Manas” is set on the island of Marajó in the Amazon rainforest. Marcielle lives by the riverbank with her father, mother and three siblings. Spurred on by her mother’s words, she idolizes her older sister, who supposedly escaped her reality by “finding a good man” on the boats that ply the region. As Tielle, as she is known, matures, her idealized visions crumble, leaving her caught between two violent environments. Increasingly concerned about her younger sister and the bleak future that awaits them, she decides to confront the oppressive system that controls her family and the women in their community.

The section's top prize, determined by a jury led by "The Eternal Daughter" filmmaker Joanna Hogg, is a cash prize of €20,000 ($22,000), which will be split equally between the filmmaker and the film's international distributor, Bendita Film Sales, to promote the film.