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As Indigenous Brazilian forest guardians in the Amazon fend off attacks from illegal loggers, miners, and exporters, we bear witness to what happens when Indigenous rights, land stewardship, and political corruption converge.

Synopsis

Meet Brazilian Indigenous activists fighting to protect their home, an illegal logger in a desperate financial state, and a landowner driven to preserving the rich ecosystem at all cost. Directed by an Indigenous activist and environmental filmmakers, produced by Fisher Stevens, and executive produced by Leonardo DiCaprio, this film’s beauty lies in its intimate storytelling, providing a human entry-point into the Amazon's critical situation that impacts us all.

"We Are Guardians is a poignant portrayal of the diverse group of people on the front line of efforts to save the Brazilian Amazon. The filmmakers expertly dissect the economic drivers that fuel large-scale environmental destruction, while exposing the corruption and partisan politics that enable it. A loud call to action.”
–  Luciana Téllez Chávez, researcher, Environment and Human Rights Division, Human Rights Watch

 

 

Credits

Edivan Guajajara / Mídia Índia

Director

 

Edivan Guajajara (he/him) is from the Zutiwa village, located in Arariboia Indigenous Land (Maranhão, Brazil) and one of the creators of the communication network Mídia Índia. As an activist & filmmaker, he creates photography and documentaries centering indigenous peoples’ perspectives, showcasing their struggle of land protection and defense of Mother Earth. As a designer and video editor, he uses his gift to create art pieces that give visibility to the ongoing fight of the Brazilian indigenous peoples, a people who have resisted for 521 years. “Film has given us the opportunity to show our culture and our resistance. Today we have our own way of communicating and spreading our works so that people can know our true history and strengthen our struggle. My greatest inspiration as an indigenous is showing our reality and telling that we are also capable of being what we want to be, and showing to the world how much we indigenous peoples are important to the survival of our planet.""

Chelsea Greene / One Forest

Director

One Forest was formed with the mission to help people reconnect to themselves and to nature. Comprised of filmmakers Chelsea Greene (she/her) and Rob Grobman (he/him), One Forest is dedicated to creating impactful and heartfelt films and media. They view the art of storytelling as a sacred work, which endows their stories with a deep reverence for the earth and the characters they feature. They have recently produced two award winning short documentaries, BORNEO’S VANISHING TRIBES and GORILLA GIRL. Their commitment to authentic, integral and informative stories paired with their youth, ambition and drive as individuals, make this unique duo and their work exceptional, relevant and inspiring. One Forest lives and works in the mountains of Southern Oregon.

Rob Grobman

Director

One Forest was formed with the mission to help people reconnect to themselves and to nature. Comprised of filmmakers Chelsea Greene (she/her) and Rob Grobman (he/him), One Forest is dedicated to creating impactful and heartfelt films and media. They view the art of storytelling as a sacred work, which endows their stories with a deep reverence for the earth and the characters they feature. They have recently produced two award winning short documentaries, BORNEO’S VANISHING TRIBES and GORILLA GIRL. Their commitment to authentic, integral and informative stories paired with their youth, ambition and drive as individuals, make this unique duo and their work exceptional, relevant and inspiring. One Forest lives and works in the mountains of Southern Oregon.

Maura Anderson

Producer

MAURA ANDERSON has worked in independent film production since 2006. She production managed academy award nominated WINTER'S BONE, Sundance darling ON THE ICE, and CEREMONY among others. She has since produced countless features and series working with the likes of Rodrigo Garcia, Julia Stiles and Jon Avnet. She made her narrative directorial debut with HEARTLAND, starring Laura Spencer & Beth Grant, which won the audience award at its 2016 Cinequest premiere and went on to play at over 20 festivals around the world eventually landing on Hulu. She produced THE INNOCENT MAN, a 6 part Netflix documentary series, with Clay Tweel and Campfire TV and THE MOST DANGEROUS ANIMAL OF ALL, a 4 part FX documentary series with Kief Davidson and Campfire; She went on to co-executive produce MENUDO: FOREVER YOUNG, a 4 part HBO Max series directed by Angel Manuel Soto and Kristofer Rios as well as SINS OF OUR MOTHER directed by Skye Borgman with Lightbox for Netflix; along with several projects for Obama and Netflix’s Higher Ground including ADA TWIST and WAFFLE’S AND MOCHI’S HOLIDAY FEAST for which she was nominated for an Emmy. She went on to co-direct a feature documentary on FIFA corruption with Clay Tweel, produced by Campfire, Studio 101 and Raindog Films and released on Amazon UK. She recently teamed up with Oscar winner Fisher Stevens (THE COVE, BEFORE THE FLOOD, PALMER, DEAR EDWARD) and Zak Kilberg (THE MAURITANIAN, BELLINGCAT) to start Highly Flammable, a production shingle producing & directing scripted & documentary projects that strives to make a positive impact on the world through art.

Zak Kilberg

Producer

Producer Zak Kilberg is the founder of Social Construct, a bold production company dedicated to curating a range of socially relevant and impactful media projects. Kilberg’s producing projects, which include 2021 Golden Globe-winner THE MAURITANIAN and 2019 International Emmy winner BELLINGCAT, have been acquired by top distributors worldwide, including Universal, Lionsgate, Netflix, HBO, Showtime, IFC, Amazon Studios, STX, etc., as well as boasting laurels from Sundance, Berlin, SXSW, Hotdocs, IDFA and BAFTA. He recently minted Highly Flammable, a production shingle running a slate of scripted and documentary projects with fellow producers Emmy-nominated Maura Anderson and Academy Award winner Fisher Stevens. Zak runs Social Construct with his partner Iz Web, in the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Asheville, NC.