Nathan Grossman's 'Amazomania' explores impact on Brazil's Korubo

Nathan Grossman's documentary 'Amazomania' will debut at CPH: DOX. It reexamines 1996 footage of Brazil's Korubo people, questioning the colonial legacy and long-term consequences of their filmed 'discovery' and first contact.

The Swedish filmmaker Nathan Grossman has returned to feature filmmaking with 'Amazomania', a documentary about Brazil's Korubo people. The documentary is set to debut at this year's Copenhagen International Documentary Film Festival (CPH: DOX).

Reexamining First Contact

According to Variety, the film's official synopsis reads, "In 1996, a Brazilian official and the Swedish journalist, Erling Soderstrom, ventured into the Amazon to document the isolated Korubo people caught in escalating land conflicts. Initially hailed as unique images from a hidden world, the footage now warrants reexamination. Uncovering the costs of 'discovery', the film confronts the colonial legacy and exposes the long-term repercussions for the Korubo."

A Director's Perspective

"What consequences did it have for the Korubo people to, on the first day of their contact, be filmed and photographed?" Grossman pondered in his director's statement, as quoted by Deadline. "With Amazomania, I allow the viewer to share Erling's gaze upon the Korubo and the Korubo's gaze back at him thirty years later. The film is an uncommented journey through the times, with stops at 1996, 2003, and 2023. It is my examination of the complex relationship between the Swede, the media, and the Korubo, from the well-documented October day in 1996 when the Korubo exited their isolation, until today," added Grossman as quoted by Deadline.

Production and Premiere Details

The Autlook Film Sales shared the trailer of the documentary on their YouTube channel. https://www.youtube.com/watch?

According to Deadline, the development of the project began in 2020 when Nathan Grossman heard about the existence of Erling Soderstrom's archive. An agreement was formed with Soderstrom to license the material for a new film, with Grossman gaining full creative control. The Korubo community is a stakeholder and serves as executive producers on Amazomania. The producer's proceeds will be shared 50/50 with the group.

The documentary will be screened at CPH: DOX on March 16. (ANI)

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