Two films, using different approaches, find new ways to visually portray the rituals and mythology of the Yanomami, Brazil’s largest indigenous peoples.
In The Laughing Alligator, Cuban artist Juan Downey, creates a highly personal and playful portrayal of the Yanomami. Shot whilst Downey and his family were living alongside the tribe in Venezuela, the film highlights the presence of the filmmaker, whist challenging conventional approaches of the ethnographic documentary.
Filmed deep within the Amazon rainforest The Last Forest, sees director Luiz Bolognesi alongside community leader and Shaman Davi Kopenawa, develop a film which mixes traditional observational approaches with staged re-enactments and performances, resulting in a work guided and shaped by the Yanomami community itself.
The Laughing Alligator USA 1979 Dir Juan Downey 26 min
The Last Forest Brazil 2021 Dir Luiz Bolognesi 74 mins
This screening is presented in the context of the public programme complementing Claudia Andujar: The Yanomami Struggle, an exhibition celebrating photographer Claudia Andujar and her long running interactions with the Yanomami.
From 17 May (and unless guidance changes) six people or two households of any size can visit together as a group. Until guidance changes, we’ve created socially-distanced seating clusters. Please only sit directly beside someone from your household or support bubble, and avoid moving seats when you arrive, so we can keep a safe distance between you and other groups.
Barbican Cinema has been supported by the Culture Recovery Fund for Independent Cinemas in England which is administered by the BFI, as part of the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport’s £1.57bn Culture Recovery Fund supporting arts and cultural organisations in England affected by the impact of Covid-19. #HereForCulture.
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