Amazonia: Voices From The Rainforest

Recently airing on Cinemax, this powerful and gorgeously filmed documentary examines the trials and tribulations of the various Amazonian peoples. Although in recent times the farmers, rubber tappers, and river peoples fought against one another, they are now banding together against a common enemy: the methodical destruction of their homes and, by extension, their livelihoods. Mixing animation, historical footage, and contemporary interviews with an excellent soundtrack, the filmmakers have woven a fascinating story which began with the coming of the white man some 500 years ago and continues today as the indigenous people fight to retain their homes. Today, natives from the 180 Amazonian tribes must combat malaria and the flu (European diseases), eat rotten fish (polluted by local industries), and struggle to, hold on to a rapidly diminishing habitable area. Over 700 tribes have already lost the battle and are now extinct. The remaining people are joining together to launch activist programs against the intruders. Elsewhere, displaced people try to eke out a living in the rainforest. One such group (comprised of 103 families) has had poison dropped on them from would-be developers' planes overhead, resulting in sickness and open body sores. Taking a different tack from the more common deforestation story, Amazonia: Voices From the Rainforest looks at the consequences to the people rather than the land. Recent winner of a Golden Gate Award for Best Environmental Film at the San Francisco International Film Festival, this thought-provoking, exquisitely shot documentary is highly recommended. (See ALASKA'S WHALES & WILDLIFE for availability.)