Jungle Secrets and Yãkwa

As Video in the Villages evolved, so too did the character of the videoworks, from sole authorship toward a more collaborative spirit. Jungle Secrets (1998, 37 mins), though directed by Carelli and partner Dominique Gallois, came to pass through a Waiãpi workshop that included scripting, acting, and prop and costume design. Completely staged by the Waiãpi, this quartet of illustrated tales about forest demons was made "to teach people to be more careful with monsters they never heard about. Even a white man can be eaten as he goes into the forest." The four dramatic tableaux illustrate a demon with the power of invisibility; a magic arrow; Anyrao, a cannibalistic bat; and Akuksian, guardian of game. Virginia Valadão's Yãkwa: The Banquet of the Spirits (1995, 54 mins) relies heavily on the participation of the Enauwene-Nawe Indians for its beautiful rendering of their intricate harvest ritual. Each year, the Yakairiti spirits are venerated through offerings of food, songs, and dances. The Enauwene elders illumine the documentary with stories of the motive gods that infuse their relationship to nature-proper reverence assures an abundant harvest and the benefit of good spirits.

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