The Spirit of Transformation

SYNOPSIS: A journey into the heart of the Brazilian Amazon Rainforest where the self-claimed Huni Kuin (meaning true people) are undergoing a remarkable cultural renaissance. Enduring decades of slavery and oppression, they were once forbidden to live their true identity.​

VIDEO HD / 82 min / COLOR / 2023

TEASER

Over the past 20 years, guided by the spiritual leader Ninawá Pai da Mata and other revered figures, these communities of the Humaitá Indigenous Land have prayed and strengthened their culture, remembering and practicing their ancient ways.

Today, they stand at a cultural zenith - a tale of unwavering resilience and fortitude emanating from the heart of the Amazon, now shared and narrated by the Huni Kuin themselves, resonating across the world in these transformative times.

How an indigenous group once slaved comes back to their
original culture and finds a way how to thrive? For the Huni Kuin
people at the Amazon forest, the answer is ayahuasca.

The Huni Kuin people once forbidden to live their lives, to live their culture and to speak their own language. After many years of living as white people, they have awakened to go back to their roots. Rediscovering their ancestrality and remembering their culture.

This film is about a region where they stood for themselves
and changed their lives forever, entering a new era, the time
of the indigenous right. In this new era, the Huni Kuin now live
in harmony with nature and their sacred knowledge, also sharing their healing culture around the world with their knowledge,
culture and spirituality from the forest, their own cultural festivals where they gather the indigenous with the non indigenous, creating
a great cultural apex. We hope this film can help other indigenous land and society as a whole to go back to their roots and be in harmony with themselves and planet Earth.

FESTIVALS

  • JUN/2023 ARG, Buenos Aires - Construir Cine Film Festival /// Awarded: Special Award.

  • JUL/2023 USA, New York - 27th Inffinito Brazilian Film Festival

  • JUL/2023 PT, Idanha-A-Nova  - Invited to BOOM Festival

  • AUG/2023 AUS, Adelaide - SCINEMA International Science Fil

  • SEPT/2023 USA, Texas - Festival De Cine Latino Americano /// Awarded: Best Documentary award

  • OCT/2023, BE, Brussels - Festival Cine Luso Espirito Mundo

  • NOV/2023, USA, North Caroline - Outerbank Film Festival /// Awarded: Best Documentary Science and Spiritualitly

  • NOV/2023, USA, Los Angeles - Garifuna International Indigenous Film Festival

  • DEC/2023, ES, Barcelona - Festival de Cine y Derechos Humanos

  • FEB/2024, USA, Colorado - Colorado Environmental Film Festival

  • -MAR/2024, AUS, Byron Bay - Bangalow Film Festival

  • MAR/2024, Argentina & Uruguay - “Mostra Brasil Circuito Inffinito”

  • APR/2024, ISR, Tel Aviv - Spirit Film Festival

  • MAY/2024, PT, Santarém - Festival Internacional de Cinema de Santarém

  • MAY/2024, BR, São Paulo - Mostra Eu Mais Velha

  • JUL/2024, BR, São Paulo - 3ª edição Mostra Ecofalante de Cinema

  • AUG/2024, South Korea (20 villages tour) - Aporia International Village Film Festival


SCREENINGS

MT : Aldeia Ripá / Povo Originário Xavante

TO : Aldeia Fontoura / Povo Originário Karajá

   Encontro etnias Kanela, Karajá, Baré e Xucuru-Kariri

SP : Aldeia Rio Silveira / Povo Originário Guarani Mbya e Kaxariba

BA : Serra Grande @ Sam's Jam, Casa Serpente, Oca Yary

     Com a presença do povo originário Kamayurá e Yawalapiti

BA : Algodões, Península de Maraú @ Oca do Mar

   "Festival Equinox" com a presença do povo originário YAWANAWÁ

GO : Alto Paraíso de Goias @ Sintropia

   "Festival Mãe D'Água" com a presença de Biruani, Bixku e Nawá Siã Huni Kuin

SC : Florianópolis @ Vila Abacate

PR : Gus Benke / Curitiba @ Gus Benke, Casa Raíz, Guata Ete Porã

GT : San Marcos Atitlán @ Espacio Lush

CO : Bogota @ Valle de Leiva


Europe Private Screenings for the film finalisation:

    SLK, Bratislava - Nova Cvernovka 

    CZR, Prague  - Kino Bio Oko 

    SLO - Ljubljana and Maribor
    GE, Berlin - Moviemento Kino Kreuzberg & Anomalie Art Club 
    NE, Amsterdam - Dehoorneboeg
    ESP, Ibiza - The House of Colors
    UK, London - Portico Gallery with the presence of
    Ninawá Pai da Mata, Yube Huni Kuin and Shene Huni Kuin


4th June : Los Angeles / CA @  Yanapuma

> 9th June : Big Bear / CA @ Aniwa Gathering - with the presence / com a presença de Mapu Huni Kuin,
Ninawá Pai da Mata, Benki & Rani Piyako (Ashaninka), Beptuk Metuktire (Kayapo) e Matsini Yawanawa and family

> 290th June : Denver / CO @ Psychedelic Science Conference

> 25th June : Boulder / NM - Intimate screening

> 26th June : Boulder / NM - Intimate screening

> 29th June : Placitas / NM - Intimate screening


​​

Brazil-

MT : Aldeia Ripá / Povo Originário Xavante

TO : Aldeia Fontoura / Povo Originário Karajá

SP : Aldeia Rio Silveira / Povo Originário Guarani Mbya e Kaxariba

BA : Serra Grande @ Sam's Jam, Casa Serpente, Oca Yary

     Com a presença do povo originário Kamayurá e Yawalapiti

BA : Algodões, Península de Maraú @ Oca do Mar

   "Festival Equinox" com a presença do povo originário YAWANAWÁ

GO : Alto Paraíso de Goias @ Sintropia

   "Festival Mãe D'Água" com a presença de Biruani, Bixku e Nawá Siã Huni Kuin

SC : Florianópolis @ Vila Abacate

PR : Gus Benke / Curitiba @ Gus Benke, Casa Raíz, Guata Ete Porã

GT : San Marcos Atitlán @ Espacio Lush

CO : Bogota @ Valle de Leiva



Europe & USA

 SLK, Bratislava - Nova Cvernovka 

CZR, Prague  - Kino Bio Oko 

 SLO - Ljubljana and Maribor
GE, Berlin - Moviemento Kino Kreuzberg & Anomalie Art Club 
NE, Amsterdam - Dehoorneboeg
ESP, Ibiza - The House of Colors

UK, London - Portico Gallery with the presence of
Ninawá Pai da Mata, Yube Huni Kuin and Shene Huni Kuin

​ Santa Fe / NM @ Synergia Ranch

Boulder / CO - Intimate Screening

NYC / NY @ Golden Drum 

NYC / NY @ Tibet House together with Brooklyn Psychedelic Society

New Haven / NY @ Centered together with Elm City Psychedelic Society

Seattle @ together with Cascadia Psychedelic Society

Port Townsend / WA - Intimate screening

Portland / OR @ The Haven together with Psanctum

Grass Valley / CA @ Intimate Screening in Grass Valley 

Berkeley / CA @ Portal Community Center together with SFPS and Chacruna - with the presence of Danielly Nova and Bia Labate

Berkeley / CA @ Casa de Cultura, with Nawabu Culture - with Txaná Mashã Huni Kuin

Topanga - Los Angeles / CA @ Intimate screening together with Psychedelia Integration and Children of the Rainforest Foundation

Atlanta / GE @ Emory University - together with The Wall Green Journal

Kensington / MD @ Blue House Productions - together with MoCo Psychedelic Society

Richmond / VA @ Black Iris Gallery

Washington / DC  @ Selina Hotel

New York / NY @ Gaia NoMaya

Woodstock / NY @ ESKFF Nest

Martha's Vineyard / MA @ West Tisbury Library

Martha's Vineyard / MA @ Native Earth Teaching Farm 

Norwich / CT @ The Holey Club - togehter with Yoga Rosa

New Haven  / CT  @ West Rock Wellness - together with Elm City Psychedelic Socirty

New York / NY @ Psychedelic Assembly - together with Psychedelic Sisterhood

New York / NY @ 27th Inffinito Brazilian Film Festival - together with NYC Parks

July - London /UK - Cinema Screening at Private Cinema in Soho

London /UK - Cinema Screening at Picture House presents at The Ritzy Cinema

Prague /CZ - Cinema Screening @ Kino Pilotu Cinema together with Saravá Foundation

Brno /CZ - Cinema Screening @ Kino Art cinema screening together with Saravá Foundation

Bratislava /SK - Cinema Screening @

Ostrava /CZ @ Asaya CentreScreening 

Cieńsza /PL @ Pracownica Cieńsza

Warsaw /PL @ Mlyn Kreacji  

Viena /AT @ Aboretum Villa Kraus 

 Zurich /SWI @ Kasheme 

Lisbon /PT @ Terra do Sol 

São Luis /PT @ O Ninho 

Directed and shot by

LARA JACOSKI & PATRICK BELEM

DOP

LARA JACOSKI , PATRICK BELEM , LUCÍA ALONSO

Co-produced by

BEM-TE-VI (BR) + HINTERLAND (NO)

Executive Production

ALEX MORENO (US) + COCO AMOS (AF) + OONA CHAPLIN (US) + TORSTEN GRUDE (NO)

Soundtrack

HUNI KUIN PEOPLE

Follow the film on:

https://www.eskawatafilm.com/
https://www.instagram.com/eskawatafilm/