Paper short abstract:

Paper long abstract:

<em>Filmmakers: Laura R. Graham (US), David Hernández Palmar (Venezuela), Caimi Waiassé (Brazil) </em>

A unique collaboration between two indigenous filmmakers and an anthropologist, Owners of the Water is a compelling documentary with groundbreaking ethnographic imagery. A central Brazilian Xavante, a Wayuu from Venezuela, and a US anthropologist explore an indigenous campaign to protect a river from devastating effects of uncontrolled Amazonian soy cultivation. The film highlights a civic protest showing strategic use of culture to bring attention to deforestation and excessive use of agro-toxins in unregulated soy cultivation. The film features a diversity of Xavante opinions and evidence that non-indigenous members of the local population both support and oppose indigenous demands. The film showcases indigenous efforts to build networks among different native peoples and across nations.

34', 2009

Distributor: www.der.org