Editor / Producer

Manuel Domes

Manuel works on projects at the intersections of conflict, environment, migration, and socio-ecological change. During his involvement with conflict transformation projects in the Philippines, he helped to develop collective formats with local filmmakers to spark dialogue and reconciliation through films.
Since his debut documentary film “A House in Pieces” (co-directed with Jean Claire Dy), he has dedicated himslef fully to filmmaking. More info here.

Political situation today

With the election of president Bolsonaro in 2018, the deforestation reached alarming heights. Bolsonaro also made big steps to weaken environmental protection and indigenous rights in Brazil.

With the election of president Lula in 2022 there is some new hope, since Lula promised to protect the Amazon rainforest and indigenous rights. Sonia Guajajara, who has her roots in the Arariboia territory, has been elected as the first ever indigenous minister of the country.

The Guajajara and the Awá

The uncontacted Awá are located in the TI Araribóia in Maranhão and share their land with the Guajajara people. Their numbers in the area are estimated to be around 80 people. They are a nomadic tribe who require large areas for hunting and gathering. According to the NGO Survival International the Awá are considered one of the most threatened people on the planet due to frequent invasions into their territories.

The Guajajara are one of the most numerous indigenous people in Brazil with a population of around 24.000, settled in several indigenous territories in the state of Maranhão. In the film we focus on the TI Araribóia. About half of the territory has already been deforested or burned down, to the extend that hunting becomes virtually impossible in the deforested parts.

Forest guardians

The Guajajara forest guardians live in the indigenous territory Arariboia, where extracting timber, hunting and settlements by outsiders are prohibited by law. Despite that, there are frequent invasions which in most, if not all cases go unpunished as the Brazilian government fails to act to protect the indigenous territories.

There are nine regions within the territory with 15 guardians each, making a total number of 135 guardians who voluntarily patrol the forests. Often they have to travel large distances by motorbike and on foot to reach illegal logging hotspots. There is no phone signal inside the reservation and only a few places with a weak internet connection making communication and organization between the different regions difficult.