The School of Communication hosted a screening and panel discussion of the award-winning documentary “We Are Guardians” with film directors Chelsea Greene, Rob Grobman and Edivan Guajajara on Sept. 30 in the Michael Forman Theater.
“We Are Guardians” showcases Indigenous forest guardians fighting to protect their land from deforestation at the hands of illegal loggers and miners in the Brazilian Amazon rainforest.
Greene, an AU alumni who graduated in 2017 with a Bachelor of Arts and Master of Fine Art in Environmental and Wildlife Filmmaking, focuses on wildlife and Indigenous guardianship films. She was inspired to use her expertise to highlight the Amazon deforestation and wildfire crisis that happened in 2019.
“I was just stuck by it and I just had to go start filming,” Greene said at the event.
Greene and her co-directors filmed in the Brazilian Amazon to capture the hardships of Indigenous natives facing the loss of their land. The film features Indigenous forest guardian Marçal Guajajara, who is unrelated to director Edivan. Marçal risks his life to protect his forest from unlawful logging.
Marçal has two children and teaches them the importance of nature as it intersects with their identity. The film also spotlights Valdir, an illegal logger who cuts down trees but depends on the profit to survive financially.
The opposing points of view displayed in the film encapsulate the struggle within the Brazilian Amazon between conservation and exploitation.
“I think there’s a failure in the environmental movement as a whole if people act out of judgment and division instead of unity,” Greene said.
The documentary also spotlights the perseverance of Indigenous leader Puyr Tembé, who is an activist who advocates for the rights of the Indigenous people and is striving to save the Amazon for the greater good of humanity. Tembé is also educating Indigenous people on politics so they can run and hold office positions in government.
“I learned so much how important these tropical forests specifically are as a biome for the planet and the amazing cultural heritage that the Indigenous people have within it,” Greene said.
When Lula da Silva was elected as Brazil’s current president in 2023, many felt relief as he is fighting to protect the Indigenous people and their ancestral lands. However, it is going to take more than a new president for major changes to be made, according to the directors.
According to Edvian, activist and filmmaker from the Indigenous Zutiwa village, it was incredible to be a part of the production and work alongside fellow Indigenous people who were given a voice through the project.
For Edvian, this was the most dangerous documentary he has been a part of because the threat to the Amazon is real. He hopes that individuals will be inspired to be guardians of our planet and our future.
“We Are Guardians” is campaigning for the guardians through donations and petitions in the movement against deforestation.
“The film is really just the beginning of what we want to do and what we want to see happen,” Grobman said at the event.
To learn more, visit the film’s website.
This article was edited by Jessica Ackerman, Marina Zaczkiewicz and Abigail Turner. Copy editing done by Luna Jinks, Emma Brown and Ariana Kavoossi.
