GRAMNet/BEMIS Film Series: Piripkura

Two of the last three members of the Piripkura still live as nomads in the Amazon rainforest, in the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso. Their most important possession is a torch that was lit in 1998 and has remained so ever since. The area where they live is encircled by farms and sawmills, whose almost inevitable expansion is taking place through violent means. This area of rainforest can only keep its protected status if there’s proof that the two men, Pakyî and Tamandua, are still living there. So coordinator Jair Candor treks into the jungle in search of them, sometimes accompanied by their sole surviving family member, their cousin Rita. Through this film, the crew provides proof of the two men’s existence. Piripkura sheds light on the tragedy befalling indigenous Amazon people—the systematic violence used against them is a constant menacing presence.