Isabella Vieira, a documentary filmmaker from Brazil has unveiled her latest project, Nawa Sia – The Secrets of the Amazon, at an exclusive ‘first look’ event in Monaco. The film, which explores the daily lives of the Huni Kuin people, their connection to the Amazon and the challenges they face today, has received the support of the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation and the Brasil Monaco Project.
On Tuesday 10th September, Brazilian filmmaker Isabella Vieira hosted a special preview event for her upcoming documentary, Nawa Sia – The Secrets of the Amazon, at Le Méridien Beach Plaza. Monaco Life’s Niki Borisova attended the project showcase and spoke with the Vieira and her collaborators about her goals for the film, which will premiere in the Principality upon its release next year.
“I wanted to create something that would establish a connection between humans and nature; this is why I made this project into an immersive experience where the viewer connects within,” Vieira, who has ancestral ties to the Amazon region, told Monaco Life.
Her film centres on the Huni Kuin, an Indigenous community from the Amazon rainforest, and delves into their deep-rooted connection to the forest and reliance on traditional medicinal practices. She explores the role of the shaman, who serves as both healer and keeper of the tribe’s ancestral wisdom, seeking to document the survival of these practices in the modern world and raise awareness of the challenges these communities face due to environmental destruction and cultural erosion.
One of the shaman portrayed in the film travelled to the Principality with Vieira and appeared at the event.
“I want to speak about my land, where I come from, my forest, and our earth. We must fight for our forest, as we cannot survive without it,” he shared with Monaco Life via an interpreter.
In addition to covering the cultural and spiritual practices of the Huni Kuin, Nawa Sia has also been designed to offer a sensory experience. Vieira has incorporated unique elements, such as sound frequencies recorded at 432 Hz, a frequency some associate with the earth’s natural rhythms, and aromatherapy linked to the scents of the Amazon rainforest. These sensory features are intended to immerse viewers beyond the visual narrative, offering a multi-layered experience to prompt deeper reflection on the human relationship with nature.
Guilherme Haguenauer, Forests and Communities Initiative Manager at the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation, who also attended the presentation, stated, “This film is a beautiful invitation to discover the Amazon, and we are very proud to be a part of such a project.”
See more: Prince Albert Foundation says efforts to protect forests should be redoubled amid Amazon fires
Meanwhile, Luciana de Montigny, the founder of the Brasil Monaco Project, added, “We must protect the forest; if we continue to destroy the Amazon, future generations will suffer. This film conveys a beautiful message to inspire people, and that’s why we are honoured to be partners in this project.”
The film is currently in post-production . Nawa Sia is set to debut in Monaco in 2025.
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