Calay News
At this year’s Cannes Film Festival, films with indigenous themes have given a voice to indigenous peoples, highlighting the importance of their causes. As many as four films in the competition focused on indigenous issues, but there were two different approaches: films made by indigenous peoples themselves and films about them made by non-native filmmakers.
One of the most prominent premieres was Martin Scorsese’s “Killers of the Flower Moon,” which chronicles the mysterious series of murders in the Osage community of Oklahoma in the 1920s following the discovery of oil on their land. Scorsese featured actors such as Robert De Niro and Leonardo DiCaprio, as well as Native American performer Lily Gladstone.
Another film, “The Settlers,” the debut feature of Chilean director Felipe Gálvez, deals with the extermination of the indigenous people in remote Tierra del Fuego. In “Crowra,” Portuguese filmmaker João Salaviza and Brazilian Renée Nader Messora show the life of the Krahô in Brazil and reveal the massacre they suffered in the 1940s. For his part, Argentine Lisandro Alonso presents “Eureka,” a metaphorical story that intertwines the lives of the Lakota people in the United States and a Brazilian tribe.
These films have sparked interest in indigenous themes, possibly influenced by growing environmental concerns. Indigenous peoples have been recognized for their ability to manage large territories without damaging the environment. In addition, there is a general trend to address historical memory and shed light on the atrocities these peoples have suffered, such as the massacre of the Selknam in Tierra del Fuego.
While this trend may strengthen the visibility of indigenous causes at major festivals, the participation of indigenous filmmakers, who remain rare at these events, is still awaited. Communication through film and audiovisual media has become an important tool to show indigenous realities and demonstrate that their knowledge can provide solutions for society.
