Feature Film Selection/ Austria, Brazil, U.S.A, Canada, Germany, 2025, Color, 112'
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Details
- Director: Richard Ladkani
- Screenplay: Richard Ladkani
- Editing: Georg M. Fischer
- Cinematography: Richard Ladkani
- Music: H. Scott Salinas
- Producer: Anita Ladkani, Richard Ladkani, Juma Xipaia, Leonardo Dicaprio, Jennifer Davisson, Phillip Watson
- Production: Malaika Pictures
- Cast: Juma Xipaia, Hugo Loss, Tuppak Tawary Xipaia, Yanuni Xipaia Loss
- 2025 Savannah Film Festival Best Director, Best Documentary
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Recap
Juma Xipaia carries forward the struggle she began at a young age, becoming a key leader fighting for the survival and rights of her Indigenous people in the Brazilian Amazon. As the first female chief of the Middle Xingu region, she survives assassination attempts, witnesses state violence against protesters, and works to expose illegal mining operations that are destroying the forests. With the establishment of Brazil's Ministry of Indigenous Peoples in 2023, a new chapter begins, bringing renewed hope to both her activism and her community. The film follows the daily lives of Juma and her husband Hugo, an environmental enforcement officer, blending the Amazon's stunning landscapes with an intimate and political narrative.
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Director
Richard Ladkani
Richard Ladkani is an award-winning filmmaker and cinematographer who has worked on over fifty documentaries focusing on environmental, social, and political themes. He directed Sea of Shadows, executive produced by Leonardo DiCaprio, which won the Sundance Audience Award, and The Ivory Game, also executive produced by DiCaprio, which was shortlisted for the 2017 Academy Awards. He served as cinematographer on Jane's Journey, a documentary about Jane Goodall that was screened worldwide. Known for his intimate and visually striking style, he often combines directing and cinematography in his projects. In 2015, he co-founded Malaika Pictures with his wife Anita.
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Trailer
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Stills
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