Holding Up The Sky

Logline

If the shamans stop dancing and life in the rainforest loses its balance, the sky will fall and crush everything beneath it. This wisdom is passed on in the Brazilian Amazon by every generation of Yanomami. But gold diggers pollute the rivers, shamans die, the rainforest perishes and the earth warms up. Davi Kopenawa, shaman, chief and well-known spokesperson for the Yanomami, has been fighting these threats for more than 40 years. Time and again, he travels the world defending his people against an endless colonisation. Do the Whites understand that the fall from the sky will not only crush the Yanomami?

Festivals

Awards

CVA Award (Cervino Cinemountain 2024)

Special Ficc Award for Best Human Rights Doc (ex aequo) at the Festival Del Cinema dei Diritti Umani di Napoli

Selected at

FIFDH Geneva

Docville

Mooov

Millenium

Human Right Film Festival Berlin

Ulsan Ulju Mountain FF

Iran International Documentary Film Festival ‘Cinema Verité”

Annual Science New Wave Festival

Finca International Environmental Film Festival

Credits

With the participation of
Davi Kopenawa Yanomami
Tuira Kopenawa Yanomami
Dário Vitório Kopenawa Yanomami
Maurício Tomé Rocha
A film by
Pieter Van Eecke
Written by
Pieter Van Eecke
Davi Kopenawa Yanomami
Dário Vitório Kopenawa Yanomami
Cinematographer
Johan Legraie
Composer
David Poltrock
Sound Recordist
Félix Blume, Taco Drijfhout, Frederico França, Nicolas Joly
Editor
Dieter Diependaele
Sound Edit
Sabrina Calmels
Re-recording Mix
Emmanuel de Boissieu
Additional Editing
Simon Schuurman
Producer
Hanne Phlypo
Coproducers
Hasse van Nunen en Renko Douze
Impact producer
Evelien De Graef

Partners

Hutukara Associação Yanomami

Vlaams Audiovisueel Fonds (VAF)

Eurimages

Film and Audiovisual Center of Wallonia Brussels Federation

Creative Europe MEDIA Programme of the European Union

Nederlands Film Fonds (NFF)

Casa Kafka Pictures

DGD

VRT/CANVAS

Rio Taruma Films