Anamei
(Anamei, los guardianes del bosque)
Alessandro Galassi / Peru, Italy / 2020 / 65 min
Ibero-American Film Festival of Trieste
Roma Green Film Festival
Toronto Multicultural Film Festival
Pricing
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Spanish with English subtitles
Anamei underscores not only the breathtaking beauty of the Amazon and its people but also the urgent need to preserve traditions, languages, and ancestral wisdom.
Weaving together the ancient myth of Anamei, the tree of salvation for the Harakbut indigenous people of the Peruvian Amazon, with the contemporary struggle against exploitation, Anamei is a visual poem.
For centuries, the Harakbut have sought refuge in Anamei’s legend, finding resilience against historical and modern conquerors of their land, from rubber barons to today’s illegal gold miners. Despite the ravages inflicted upon their homeland, the guardians of the forest continue to heal both the natural environment and their community wounds.
The documentary transcends continents, from the scarred landscapes of the Amazon to the Vatican, echoing the spirit of Anamei as voiced by poetess Ana Varela Tafur.
Anamei emerges as more than a tree of life; it embodies a prophecy of hope, shared globally by Pope Francis during the Amazon Synod, advocating for healing and restoration, both for the planet and humanity itself.
Related Subjects
About the Director
Passionate about storytelling, particularly untold narratives, Galassi has also led social projects at Rome’s Casal del Marmo Penal Institute for Minors and serves as co-artistic director of the Milan Festival of the Mission.
Notes on the Film
“I tried not to indulge in the pleasure of sensationalism. To narrate, in a sober and true way, the destroying of resources, nature and lives. And then to tell about trees and men, valuing the message.
It was more difficult to find the right key to describe the Pope who, with his charisma, his prophetic value, could have occupied the whole scene. I chose, therefore, to tell it as the Apaktone, ‘the old and wise father’, the old man dressed in white who carries a saving word, the decisive action.
I tried to convey fragility and beauty, destruction and hope, the sound of traditional songs of the Amazonian peoples, Christian prayers, and a shared sense of humanity. Also and above all for those who are not yet aware of it. I hope that this documentary will come mainly to them.”
– Alessandro Galassi, Director