Abhiroop Das
Created by Bráulio Mantovani, Fernando Garrido, and Stephanie Degreas, Netflix’s ‘Rivers of Fate,’ originally known as ‘Pssica,’ tells the story of Janalice, a teenager who finds herself kidnapped by a group of traffickers. Her story intersects with that of Preá, a criminal gang member with aspirations to be the leader, and Mariangel, who is on a quest for vengeance for the death of her husband and son. The Brazilian miniseries pits these three trajectories against each other to explore the subject of human trafficking in all of its uncomfortable detail. To that end, it also conducts a deep dive into the minds of both targets and perpetrators, shining light on the external circumstances that might fuel the industry. The horrors faced by Janalice have far-reaching effects beyond the immediate event, and her journey towards freedom takes center stage.
Rivers of Fate is Informed by the Real Tragedies of Sex Trafficking
‘Rivers of Fate’ is an adaptation of the eponymous novel by Edyr Augusto, an author, playwright, and journalist from Pará, Brazil. While it is not inspired by one specific incident, its premise draws inspiration from the growing sex trafficking crisis in Brazil. Brought from print to screen by Stephanie Degreas, the story explores this facet from many angles and perspectives, capturing its harrowing nature. During a Netflix panel at the Paraty International Literary Festival, author Edyr Augusto commented on how his work finds the balance between telling a universally applicable story while grounding it in ground-level reality. He stated, “It’s very difficult for a writer from Belém to break out of the bubble, but Pssica did it, and now we’re going to take this story even further. It deals with universal themes, but it’s fully connected to the cultures and landscapes of the Amazon — places rich in stories, music, and art that the whole of Brazil could truly benefit from knowing.”
In real life, Brazil has seen its share of devastating cases of kidnapping and sexual abuse, and many of them might have served as a reference point for the creators. For instance, in 2010, five sex traffickers were convicted of trafficking Brazilian women to Switzerland, as reported by the UNHRC. This incident bears a striking resemblance to how the show’s narrative pans out, with Janalice being shipped across borders as part of the larger trafficking ring. According to a 2021 UNODC report, the rise in human trafficking in Brazil can be attributed to the socio-economic vulnerability faced by large swathes of the population. This, combined with the decrease in employment opportunities, leads people straight into the hands of criminal networks. Although Janalice’s case is more complicated than that, the sociological factors surrounding her strongly come into play.
Rivers of Fate Touches on Brazil’s History
A key part of the story is the local police force’s response to the growing number of kidnappings, and the series maintains a balanced perspective on the subject. It points out the gaps in the system while also shedding light on how law enforcement’s hands are often tied. Additionally, it shows how people in positions of power sometimes not only encourage but also create systems of abuse, further derailing the justice process. In reality, the Brazilian government has taken a number of steps to ensure that human trafficking is minimized as much as possible, with the IV National Action Plan being launched in 2024 to create a strategic blueprint for apprehending criminals and rescuing survivors in cooperation with national and state governments, as well as local bodies. However, internal corruption always remains a possibility, sustaining the threat against innocent lives.
Additionally, the show also derives from Brazil’s historic roots, particularly in relation to the character of Mariangel, with numerous hints confirming that she has a background in the military. In particular, she is sensitive to the subject of tragedies in Colombia, which, when taken into account with her recurring post-traumatic memories of participating in armed operations, suggests that she might have been part of Brazilian activity in Colombia. Notably, Operation Traira, wherein the Brazilian military clashed with the guerrilla forces based in Colombia, stands out as a possible inspiration. The horrors that unfolded around that period might be the source of her PTSD, but as this is only a vague parallel, the details of her past cannot be ascertained. Nonetheless, they play a major role in the story, contextualizing her skill with weapons and her subsequent quest for revenge.
Janalice and Preá are Fictional But Grounded by Their Circumstances
Just like the larger narrative, the character of Janalice does not draw inspiration from one particular target of sex trafficking. Instead, she is likely constructed as a composite of many such cases, with her individual experience condensing every allowing element into one single journey. However, her suffering finds commonality with many real-life cases of teenagers being rescued from trafficking operations. More importantly, the show sheds light on the protagonist’s inner strength in dealing with these ordeals. Actor Domithila Cattete, who essays the role, spoke to Netflix about the challenges faced by her character. She stated, “Janalice needs to draw strength from within herself, which is very painful, and she is not satisfied with that; she does not lower her head.”
Preá stands out as one of the more complicated characters in ‘Rivers of Fate,’ with his interest in becoming a leader standing at odds with his aversion towards pointless violence. Things take a strange turn when he catches feelings for Janalice after kidnapping her, and he spends the rest of the show desperate to gain control over her. It is likely that Preá’s background as a gang leader is partially based on the real-life criminal gangs that are common in the Amazon rainforest, called Water Rats or River Rats. These gangs are known for ambushing passenger and cargo boats, stealing their contents, and then selling them for profit. While the inspiration is evident, the show also takes some creative liberties.
The River Rats are typically known to operate at night, when the risk of getting caught is low; however, their fictional counterparts spread terror in broad daylight, a decision likely made to make the action sequences easier to film. Over the course of the story in ‘Rivers of Fate,’ Preá and Janalice develop a unique dynamic that is marred by their fundamental power imbalance. Although the former appears to be in love, it does not change the fact that he is one of the perpetrators in the whole operation. As such, his feelings for Janalice also have an element of perverseness to them. The exchange flips the idea of the Stockholm Syndrome on its head and brings to light how a captor’s emotions about their targets are always coloured by the cruel nature of their actions.
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