The last forest

Since Jair Bolsonaro took office in 2019, gold miners have again massively disrupted the living conditions of the Yanomami people, on the border between Brazil and Venezuela. Intruders not only poison the water with mercury, but also bring deadly disease - most recently COVID-19 - to the indigenous communities of the Amazon. With their promises of a modern world, prospectors also tempt young people to abandon their traditional life in the jungle.

Filmmaker and anthropologist Luiz Bolognesi is collaborating with shaman Davi Kopenawa, one of the most respected voices of the Yanomami people, to condemn the violation of indigenous rights. Bolognesi alternates observational footage of community life with staged sequences he has designed with the help of Kopenawa, co-writer of the film. The stunning images and richness of the soundscapes transport us into the Yanomami worldview, its creation myths, its relationship with nature and the current struggle to preserve its natural environment.