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THE TEAM
A FILM ABOUT AND BY
The Huni Kuin, blessed by the spiritual chief Ninawá Pai da Mata and all elders, men, women and youngsters who led the way to share some of their mysteries and way of life beyond what the eyes can see.
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PRODUCED BY
Bem-te-vi Cultural Productions, an independent Brazilian nomad film company focusing at registering and uplifting ancient knowledge that brings life meaning and value.
Directed and shot by the filmmakers Lara Jacoski and Patrick Belem while they have lived and experienced the Huni Kuin way of life, registering the cultural renaissance of this people.
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CONTRIBUTING PRODUCER
Kristen M. Nicole (US)
ASSOCIATE PRODUCER
Lucía Alonso (ES)
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CINEMATOGRAPHY
Lara Jacoski + Patrick Belem (BR)
Lucía Alonso (ES) + Gary Van Wyk (AF)
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SOUNDTRACK
The Huni Kuin people
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PARTNERSHIP
Brazilian Content
Cinema Paradiso
Cinema do Brasil
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SUPPORTED BY
This project wouldn't be possible without
the contribution of so many kind souls who have
supported the project and the Huni Kuin culture
through crowdfunding, which we give many thanks.
DIRECTED & WRITTEN BY
Lara Jacoski + Patrick Belem
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PRODUCED BY
Bem-te-vi Produções (Brazil)
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IN COLLABORATION WITH
Ninawá Pai da Mata
Txai Vinícius - Yube Ika Ni Bai
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CO-PRODUCED BY
Joakim Hauge (Hinterland.Co - Norway)
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EXECUTIVE PRODUCTION
Oona Chaplin (Double Rainbow Productions - US)
Torstein Grude (Piraya Film - NO)
Alex Moreno (Cine Creative Media - US).
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CO-EXECUTIVE PRODUCTION
Bodhi Kaya + Coco Amos (AF)
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MAIN CREDITS
THE PEOPLE
The Kaxinawá people, self-named Huni Kuin (which means true people) are the most populous indigenous group in Acre with 16 thousand individuals in Brazil, and 2 thousand people in Peru rainforest.
The film takes place at the Huni Kuin villages of Kaxinawá Humaitá River Indigenous Land, demarcated in 1996, located at the Humaitá river that flows in the heart of the Brazilian Amazon forest, Acre state.
The indigenous land has 127.383 hectares with 99% of forest, giving home to 7 villages and 2 placements, which were also contemplated during the film. The main village where the research and the film was made is called Novo Futuro (New Future Village), a four day boat ride from the nearest city, Tarauacá.
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The Huni Kuin people have been contacted for about a century and have gone through various phases of suffering, narrowly escaping extinction. Some of them who fled to Peru and to the farthest lands in Acre were capable of maintaining community life and the chain of transmission of ritual knowledge completely interwoven with the rainforest and its wildlife without interruption, while the groups who stayed in Brazil were obliged to live shattered in small settlements, following the logic of rubber extraction, recently recovering from decimation, striving to recover and pass on their diverse knowledge of the forest to future generations so that it will not be lost.
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Their culture is guided by its cosmopolitics who comes from their ancestral stories - such as the ancestral boa constrictor that taught the secrets of life in constant balance with other beings; Its artistic practices based on the shamanistic cosmology of the kenes which are the sacred geometry which is performed a graphic design of deep knowledge as a key that opens the way for the understanding of life and visions of ayahuasca combined with traditional songs; And its rituals, especially the nixi pae (ayahuasca) a sacred tea which reveals the mysteries of life, the forest, and each person.
SCREENINGS
The film was complete in May/2023.
We are now applying to film festivals and looking for ways and partners to share this film. Our interest is to share the movie but also to have the directors speaking about the themes arising in the movie.
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We are looking forward to share the film and the vision of transformation trough ancestry.
Soon we hope the film will be available for public screenings.
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For general public, keep updated on screenings and news at the instagram page @eskawatafilm
For press package download the material here.
PRESS KIT
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Download the poster above and our press kit here:
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SUPPORT THE HUNI KUIN
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The Huni Kuin are constantly collecting funds
to make their projects happen in order to improve their quality of life,
provide for their basic needs, generate income and foment their prosperity.
We have a current project that supports the Huni Kuin and other indigenous people, you can get to know more information here. Or drop us an email at contato@bemteviproducoes.com.br
Support today by using the e-wallets availale bellow
- do make a note if you would like to support an specific project.
Venmo Wallet

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Use the account details
bellow for Venmo, Wise
and Paypal wallets or
use the QR code.
larajacoski@gmail.com

Wise Wallet
PayPal Wallet


Crypto Wallet : ETH
Crypto Wallet : BTC

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GET IN TOUCH
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ESKAWATA KAYAWAI
THE SPIRIT OF TRANSFORMATION
THE FILM
A 7 years project of research and visits to the Huni Kuin villages of the Humaitá River Indigenous Land (Acre) and beyond, at the heart of the Brazilian Amazon.
A pilgrimage resulting in a feature film that portrays the reconnection of a people to their essence, back to their nature. Eskawatã Kayawai - The spirit of transformation is born.
SYNOPSIS
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A journey into the heart of the Brazilian Amazon Rainforest where the self-claimed Huni Kuin (meaning true people), are experiencing the renaissance of their culture after decades of slavery and oppression, forbidden to live their identity.
With more than 20 years of prayer and cultural strengthening undertaken by the spiritual leader Ninawá Pai da Mata since the year 2000, the communities of the Humaitá Indigenous Land are experiencing a cultural apex.
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A story of resistance and strength that blooms from the Amazon to the world in such moments that we are living in.