Original subtitles

AUDIENCE AWARD - BERLIN FILM FESTIVAL

BEST FILM - SEFF SEOUL FILM FESTIVAL

PRESENTING

THE YANOMAMI LIVED IN A TERRITORY IN THE NORTH OF BRAZIL AND SOUTH OF VENEZUELA

FOR OVER 1000 YEARS

500 YEARS BEFORE EITHER COUNTRY EXISTED, THE YANOMAMI WERE ALREADY THERE

Pay attention. Check for snakes over there.

There might be some. They curl up.

Always check underneath.

It's cold.

This is alligator food.

The Yanomami don't know how to eat that, but the alligator does.

It can actually chew these rocks.

When you cut an alligator's belly, you find many rocks like these.

Look at this.

If we cook it, it'll be good.

If we cook it, then we can eat it?

Don't eat it like that.

You could die.

Come here, quick!

Come to my lap to wash your feet.

In the river Ananariu, where no one goes,

I like to hunt.

Caciques, tortoises, alligators,

spider monkeys, bearded sakis, curassows, peccaries...

The monkey only falls when you hit it right.

It's very quick and hard to hit.

You have to shoot precisely.

They become agitated.

Try to hop away...

- There's plenty of game there. - ...and fall down.

- This tastes good! - I'll have some tapioca.

Taste it. Is it good?

- I want this one. - This one's mine.

White people don't know us.

Their eyes have never seen us.

Their ears don't understand our speech.

That is why I must go where white people live.

Why is it that I must go there?

What will I do in the land of white people?

We must not be afraid.

They don't know the Yanomami up close.

I don't want to go there bringing festive food,

or traditional dances.

Because we are children of Omama,

the last children of the forest,

we must fight so that our children grow up healthy,

so that our daughters can mature into women.

I must teach them our way of thinking.

- They have firearms. - Hey, prospector! Go away from here!

Only three men and a single shotgun.

You won't work here. My people won't let you mine here.

- Look, boss, hear me... - You have no respect!

Liar. Thief! Away! Go away!

If there's only a few white people, they run away!

If there's 20, 30, or 40, they run away.

If we don't protect ourselves,

after they find gold, they'll come by the thousands.

On the stone...

on the stone, upriver, where they worked,

the creek has dried out.

The river has turned to mud.

That can also happen to this river.

Everything's dry over there.

If you follow the river, follow its full course

everywhere they've mined,

it's all dry.

That's why we have to tell the others

how different it was in the past.

If the gold prospectors surprise us here,

coming down by helicopter,

if they bring gifts and shotguns, don't take them!

A shotgun won't feed you.

If we accept gifts

of cartridges, primers, gunpowder, lead, we'll all get sick.

The mercury will make your head hurt until you die.

You have to stay alert.

It's dark here in the forest, so people sleep quickly,

since everything's quiet.

There are no cars, no lights, we can sleep well.

When you dream, you organize your thoughts.

I wonder what I dreamed of...

I'll sleep hungry today, so maybe I'll dream.

I'll sleep by the fire. I really am the forest.

I'm the forest itself, hot.

He's hot. Davi is hot.

It's a supernatural fire.

The spirit Thorumari.

It brought the summer and stayed.

I dreamed that the anaconda almost swallowed me,

and the jaguar carried me away.

And the Yawarioma put a spell on me in the forest.

Do you want to lie in my hammock?

I really dreamed it. I was scared.

I'm not scared.

In the beginning, there were no rivers.

Water ran deep underneath the earth.

You could only hear the waters from afar flowing in strong currents.

No human being lived there.

There were only supernatural beings,

the animals,

and the brothers, Omama and Yoasi.

One day, Omama dug a hole through the forest floor.

Water started to accumulate on the ground

and then flow in every direction,

creating the rivers and lakes of the forest.

No more thirst.

All the trees we have

were planted by them.

Once, as they were picking fruit,

they realized, from atop the trees,

that the trees had grown a lot.

So they created great winds.

The winds were very strong.

They blew where the forest was more beautiful.

They blew where the forest was very healthy.

They blew where the forest was stronger.

So everything smelled nice.

Thus, the smell of the forest was created.

As were all the smells.

The smell of all the flowers, the smell of the tree bark.

But the brothers felt very lonely living by themselves in the forest.

They asked themselves:

"How can two men create a woman?"

"How would that be possible?"

At first, Yoasi copulated with his own leg until it got pregnant.

But that made his leg give birth to a boy.

And they kept on alone in a world without women.

But we, the forest-dwellers, weren't born from his calf.

We came out of the vagina of Omama's wife, Thuëyoma.

And when he pulled on the rope,

she slowly came out of the water, and he started to pull.

And he pulled on the rope,

and pulled, and pulled...

She appeared.

Do you have a boyfriend or husband in the water world?

I don't have a boyfriend, nor any suitors.

- How do you feel about that? - When I lived in the underwater forest,

I felt alone until you found me.

I was very happy when you fished me out.

Thuëyoma was a fish being

who allowed herself to be captured in woman form.

If Omama hadn't fished her from the river,

humans might still be copulating with their own knee.

Where is the game meat?

I went hunting but found nothing.

You smell of woman. Don't lie to me.

You're my brother. You know I want it too.

You can see her too.

She lives underwater, at the bottom of the big lake.

After they talked about that,

his brother rushed to the river.

To seek Thuëyoma.

Why do you look so sad?

Because of your brother.

Yoasi.

He slept with me.

He made me sad.

Your brother has a misshapen penis.

He hurt me. He wasn't as tender as you.

He didn't try to get closer first. He didn't take it slow.

He hurt me.

Yoasi!

Yoasi!

Yoasi, what are you doing?

I'm reshaping my penis on the stone.

Where's your son?

I just gave him to the evil spirits. He cried too much.

I really want to shoot you.

Why did you hurt Thuëyoma?

Why did you give the child to the evil spirit?

Find yourself another place to live. You don't belong in my land.

You're no longer my brother. Go find some place else.

You brought disease to this land.

I don't want you here. You hurt Thuëyoma.

And, after that fight,

Thuëyoma went to live with Omama, and they got married.

Only these two men existed.

Omama became the protector of the Yanomami.

We, the Yanomami, are children of Omama and Thuëyoma.

We also know that we all come from the same blood.

And the other one, called Yoasi,

was expelled to the other side

of the great ocean river.

There he created death.

Death lay sleeping on the Potoporisiki tree.

The toucan spirit cried on that tree. That's why we cry when someone dies.

That spoiled our life-breath and we became mortal.

So, Omama buried the evil spirits and the smoke of disease underground

along with the ores.

That's why we shouldn't take ore from the earth,

so that we don't awaken the smoke of disease.

You'll eat soon, wait there with Grandma.

Mommy's making your food.

Mom, my husband went out to hunt yesterday but hasn't come back.

We slept alone until dawn.

The children were sad.

He still hasn't come back since yesterday.

He went out yesterday, but hasn't come back?

Maybe a forest spirit

cast a spell on him.

I thought he'd come back this morning.

He might've been taken by a herd of peccary.

Or maybe the jaguar ate him.

Brother-in-law!

Brother-in-law!

That's how their forest is.

- The city's pretty nice. - Is Boa Vista beautiful?

Yes, I went there years ago with the gold prospectors.

The food is good.

You should come work for us.

- Didn't you bring any prey? - I found nothing.

Let me tell you something.

I know you like the non-natives.

I know how you feel.

You want to go with the gold prospectors.

Their products can put a spell on us.

They seem well-meaning.

They want to help.

I used to like them very much. They called me to work.

I did everything they asked me to.

But when you're alone,

no one cares about you, and you go hungry.

You go hungry and there's no game to hunt.

No one gives you a place to sleep.

And even if you learn the language, you'll never be one of them.

You can't turn into them.

The non-natives will always ask themselves,

"Who is that one?"

"We don't know who he is."

"What is this forest-dweller doing here?"

"He shouldn't have come."

"Go back to your home!"

"We, the non-natives, don't mix with the Yanomami."

Stay in the forest.

Only in our forest can you sleep in peace.

You won't work for other people.

You can hunt if you want to, lie down if you want to,

play if you want to, go for a walk if you want to.

I've lived in the world of non-natives,

and that is why I'm telling you.

- So? Do you copy? - Roger! Loud and clear.

The waters of the Parawau river, of the Palimiu river,

of the Mucajaí river...

We've already seen gold prospectors in these rivers.

Gold prospectors.

Gold prospectors...

When I'm speaking you have to keep quiet.

Pay attention and listen. Understood? Do you copy?

Okay, brother-in-law. I hear you loud and clear, father-in-law.

Listen up.

If you all agree, say "yes". Pay attention to the land.

But keep calm, and don't let sadness get to you.

Far away, on the white man's land,

I need to go there and discuss all this...

We're talking at the same time.

Wait until I've finished!

I'm passing on my words. Explaining. Do you copy?

Roger that, father-in-law.

We understand. It's just that many are listening in.

- Do you copy? - I'm listening!

1986, do you remember?

There was a great invasion of gold prospectors.

They're coming back now.

On the lands of Xirixiana, Xiriana,

and Palimiu too.

They're all suffering, drinking mercury-contaminated water.

This is why I have to get the word out, so that we can get help. Do you copy?

- Roger! - Copy!

- Copy that! - Roger!

Copy that!

Things are in bad shape in Kayanu.

They're drinking contaminated water, they can't sleep well,

they can't be happy.

- Copy? - Copy that!

We live in an arm of the Mucujaí river. They're reaching us already.

There are more earth-eaters again. They'll reach your houses' doors.

There are 10,000 or more coming. This is why we have to speak up.

- Copy? - Roger.

I'll leave you with those words. Take care of your children's health.

It's time to pay attention to the children's health.

Understood?

- Roger. - We understand.

When you speak, your words go everywhere.

- We'll pay attention! - That's right, Palimiu.

They're too many!

Yawarioma took my husband.

I dreamed she took him to the water world.

And he stayed there. He must be living there.

I need you, shamans.

I want to drink the Yekuana medicine and go after him.

The shaman spirits don't cure without a purpose.

Even if you drink it,

you may not see the spirits.

You might sing until you're weak.

We, the shamans, will help you bring him back.

Then you have to bathe him to get rid of the woman's smell.

It will help him calm down.

The evil spirits have many shapes.

Yawarioma, who's a woman-shaped fish, may have lured him into the river.

He may have been seduced by the evil spirits of ore,

or fallen into a trap of the prospectors, who release the smoke of disease.

Many have departed this way.

Her name is Thuëyoma.

- Thuëyoma. - Thuëyoma.

Does she live in the water?

She lives in the lake. Underwater.

Doesn't she drown?

She won't drown, it's her home. It's the water world.

That's a lot of water!

There's plenty of clean water where she lives.

Is there land as well?

- She can put up a hammock. - There's everything, then.

- There's everything! - Just like here.

Her home.

Mommy, I want tapioca.

Mommy, I want tapioca.

- You want tapioca? - Yes.

It's hot.

- Your tapioca. - My tapioca.

This is my tapioca.

Mamurona made the first baskets

without knowing we'd make so many.

Our ancestors don't teach without a reason.

It'd be good to create a women's association.

We could exchange more baskets for food.

The baskets we learned from Mamurona.

Take what Mamurona taught us to the land of white people.

That way we'd depend less on the men.

When we have the need, we can make more.

We, the women,

can weave more if we're together.

As a group, an association, we exchange more, and don't go hungry.

White people are always after our baskets.

Gold prospectors dream a lot.

While they sleep,

money is all they dream about.

They keep dreaming, "What can I find by digging?"

"If I find gold, what will I do with the money?"

That's all they think about.

But they don't get to keep the money, the businessmen do.

These ones don't come here.

The workers will stay poor.

They don't live well.

Omama hid the ores underground so no one would mess with them.

White people turn over the land to find oil, gold.

And they free evil spirits,

the smoke disease spreads.

The diseases and the poison could increase.

They will increase.

We, Yanomami shamans,

must fight.

The diseases are many.

Tuberculosis, pneumonia...

Omama created the Xapiri spirits to protect us.

We need to do a great shamanic ritual.

And call the Xapiri to stop the evil spirits.

- This is not their forest. - Omama put this forest under our care.

When we lived up north,

we saw many relatives die because of the mercury in the water.

Pay attention!

My name is Davi Kopenawa Yanomami,

and I'll teach you some things.

You, who live here on the other side of the river,

can't see from here.

You think everything is beautiful in the forest.

But the white people's authority

allowed the gold in our land to be prospected.

The non-native authorities use this word a lot,

"Important".

For you, who live in the city,

products are the most important thing.

Although there are plenty of products,

white people don't share them.

They are greedy.

Making too many products is bad for the forest.

What matters to us are the animals in the forest, fertility.

What's important is sharing food amongst our people,

our survival, our growth, our way of life,

and our existence as people.

IN 1986, THE DISCOVERY OF GOLD DEPOSITS IN YANOMAMI LAND

LED TO THE INVASION OF 45,000 PROSPECTORS AND THE DEATH OF 1,500 TO 1,800 NATIVES

IN 1992, THE BRAZILIAN GOVERNMENT LEGALLY RECOGNIZED YANOMAMI LAND RIGHTS

EVEN STILL, IN THE FOLLOWING YEAR, PROSPECTORS RAIDED A VILLAGE

AND KILLED 16 NATIVES WITH GUNSHOTS AND MACHETE BLOWS

SOME OF THE VICTIMS WERE ELDERLY PEOPLE, WOMEN, AND CHILDREN

THE INCIDENT BECAME KNOWN AS THE HAXIMU MASSACRE

DUE TO ENSUING BACKLASH FROM THE BRAZILIAN PRESS

AND BOLSTERED BY INTERNATIONAL SUPPORT

DAVI GOT THE BRAZILIAN GOVERNMENT TO ENFORCE THE LAW

AND KEEP THE PROSPECTORS OUT OF YANOMAMI LAND FOR 25 YEARS

AFTER THE INAUGURATION OF A NEWGOVERNMENT IN 2019, OVER 20,000 PROSPECTORS

ONCE AGAIN INVADED YANOMAMI LAND, TEARING DOWN THE RAINFOREST,

POISONING THE RIVERS WITH MERCURY AND BRINGING COVID-19 TO THEIR VILLAGES

RATHER THAN UPHOLD THE CONSTITUTION, THE NEW ADMINISTRATION IS TRYING TO

LEGALIZE PROSPECTOR INVASION OF NATIVE LAND

DAVI HAS BEEN RECEIVING DEATH THREATS

FOR HIS DENUNCIATION OF ILLEGAL PROSPECTING

THE LAST FOREST