Embrace of the Serpent
(El abrazo de la serpiente)
Ciro Guerra / Argentina, Colombia, Venezuela / 2015 / 125 min
Academy Awards®
Best Foreign Language Film NomineeCannes Film Festival
Directors’ Fortnight Winner – CIACE Art Cinema AwardMacondo Awards
Best Film, Director, Screenplay, Editing, Sound Design, Original Score, Art Direction, Cinematography,Fenix Awards
Best Director, Original Score, Cinematography, Sound DesignMar Del Plata International Film Festival
Golden Astor Award for Best FilmFilm Independent Spirit Awards
Best International Film NomineeToronto International Film Festival
Sundance Film Festival
BFI London Film Festival
Pricing
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Spanish, Portuguese, German, Catalan, Latin, English, Wanano, Vicuna, Huitoto and Cubeo with English subtitles
With Jan Bijvoet, Brionne Davis, Antonio Bolívar Salvador, Nilbio Torres, Yauenkü Miguee
ACADEMY AWARD® BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM NOMINEE
A breathtaking ethnographic odyssey through the heart of the Colombian Amazon, Embrace of the Serpent is the epic story of the first contact, approach, betrayal and, eventually, friendship, between Karamakate, an amazonian shaman, last survivor of his people, and two scientists that, over the course of 40 years, become the first men to travel the Northwest Amazon in search of a sacred and difficult-to-find psychedelic Yakruna plant.
With nine different languages spoken during the course of the film, this hypnotic meditation on the beauty of nature and effects of colonialism is presented with an uncommon sense of curiosity rarely seen. The crisp black and white photography captures the extraordinary landscapes with a haunting, almost mythical sense of wonder, while the balance between documentary-style realism and dreamlike mysticism makes for a truly poetic cinematic experience.
Related Subjects
About the Director
His second feature film, Los viajes del viento (The Wind’s Journeys), was part of the Official Selection – Un Certain Regard of the Cannes Film Festival in 2009. It was released in 17 countries and selected by 90 festivals, including Toronto, Rotterdam, San Sebastián, Hong Kong, Jerusalem, and London, receiving different awards in Cannes, Santa Bárbara, Málaga, Santiago, Bogotá, and Cartagena. It was recently selected in a national critic’s poll as one of the 10 most important Colombian films.
All of Guerra’s feature films to date have been chosen to represent Colombia in the Academy Awards®.
Press
“NYT Critic's Pick. Majestic, spellbinding film... Beautiful isn’t a strong enough word to describe it.” – Stephen Holden, The New York Times
“A fairly comprehensive critique of the destruction of indigenous cultures at the hands of white invaders. At once blistering and poetic, not just an ethnographic study but also a striking act of cinematic witness.” – Justin Chang, Variety
“A visually mesmerizing exploration of man, nature and the destructive powers of colonialism.” – Jordan Mintzer, The Hollywood Reporter
“An intense journey and very rewarding visual feast.” – Nathaniel Rogers, The Film Experience
“a legitimate stunner, a river-trip that will mesmerize and jack with you, leaving you not quite certain, at its end, how to go about the rest of your day. The film is beautiful and ferocious, calm and torrential.” – Alan Scherstuhl, The Village Voice
“Embrace of the Serpent is simply a work of art, and one of the most singular cinematic experiences you could hope to have...It is a lament for all the lost plants and peoples of the world.” – Jessica Kiang, The Playlist
“Guerra’s stark allegory of the extinction of indigenous cultures at the hands of well-meaning but ignorant white Europeans is powerfully resonant in this gorgeously shot film, touted as the first feature to be shot in the Colombian jungle in over three decades.” – Nicholas Bell, Ioncinema
“An enlightening and thought-provoking film that is also evocative, exotic, and surreal in its primal eloquence, this is highly recommended. ” – Susan Granger, Video Librarian