New documentary highlights Amazon struggle

As precious Amazon habitat faces increasing threats from farming, mining and other activity, an award-winning new documentary highlights the efforts of Indigenous people to protect their land.

The Territory is an immersive look at the tireless fight of the Uru-eu-wau-wau people against the deforestation caused by farmers and illegal settlers. Partially filmed by the Uru-eu-wau-wau people themselves, the film takes us deep into the heart of their community in Brazil’s Rondônia state.

There’s also unprecedented access to the farmers and settlers who are illegally burning and clearing the protected land.

Footage captured across three years reveals the risks faced by the Uru-eu-wau-wau people as they set up patrols and a media team to expose the truth about the destruction. The film shows them embracing technology as they fight to protect their land, and mentions the forest drone surveillance programme that you helped to fund.

The Territory stars Indigenous leader Bitaté Uru-eu-wau-wau and environmental activist Neidinha Bandeira, and one of the executive producers is Neidinha’s daughter Txai Suruí, who addressed the COP26 conference in Scotland in 2021 (and spoke to WWF in an exclusive interview).

Bitaté, Neidinha and Txai all attended the film’s premiere in London in September 2022, and said in an interview that they wanted to raise awareness of the need to secure the future of the Amazon

The film has picked up several award nominations around the world, winning over a dozen so far, including two at the prestigious Sundance Film Festival.