Documentary centered on Yanomami ritual is inspired by the book of the same name written by Yanomami shaman Davi Kopenawa and French anthropologist Bruce Albert
“Skyfall”, a film that bears the same name as book written by Yanomami shaman Davi Kopenawa and French anthropologist Bruce Albert, was selected to premiere at the Quinzaine des Cineàstes exhibition – parallel to the Cannes Festival, in France. A Aruac Films, producer of the documentary, made the announcement this Tuesday (16/04).
Created in 1946, the Cannes Festival is one of the most famous and prestigious film festivals in the world. The 77th edition is scheduled to take place from May 14th to 25th this year. The date for the first showing of “The Fall of the Sky” has yet to be announced.
The documentary, directed by Eryk Rocha and Gabriela Carneiro da Cunha, is centered on the Reahu festival, a funeral ritual and the most important ceremony of the Yanomami, which brings together hundreds of relatives of the deceased with the purpose of erasing all traces of the one who passed away and so put it into oblivion.
“It’s a film where the camera doesn’t just look at the Yanomami, but at us non-indigenous people too. And that was always a foundation of the film for both me and Eryk. We worked to make a film that expressed the dreamlike materiality of a relationship”, explains Gabriela.
Based on three fundamental axes of the book (Invitation, Diagnosis and Alert), the film presents the cosmology of the Yanomami people, the world of Xapiri pë spirits, the work of shamans to hold the sky and cure the world of diseases produced by non- indigenous people, illegal mining, the siege promoted by the people of the commodity and the revenge of the Earth.
Released in 2010, originally in French, “The Fall of the Sky: Words from a Yanomami Shaman” brings together reflections by Davi Kopenawa, told to his friend Bruce Albert, about the contact between his people and non-indigenous people since the 1960s.
“The film is a dialogue with the book of the same name by Davi Kopenawa, Yanomami shaman and one of the greatest indigenous leaders in the world, and Bruce Albert, French anthropologist. The work is considered by many experts as one of the most important of contemporary times”, explains Aruac Filmes.
In addition to production by Aruac Filmes, the film has support from Instituto Socioambiental (ISA), co-production by Hutukara Associação Yanomami (HAY) and Stemal Entertainment with Rai Cinema and associated production by Les Films d'ici.
About the directors
Eryck Rocha, born in Brasília, has already competed for the Palme d'Or for best short film for “Quimera” in 2004. Furthermore, he received the L'Œil d'or (Golden Eye) for best documentary at the Cannes Film Festival for 'New Cinema' in 2016.
Gabriela Carneiro da Cunha, was born in Rio de Janeiro and makes her film directing debut with “A Queda do Céu”. The artist is also an actress and creator of the project Margens-sobre Rios, Buiúnas e Vagalumes through which she developed the pieces “Guerrilha” and “Altamira 2042".