The Yasuni Biosphere of Amazonian Ecuador – the world’s most biodiverse forest – is home to the Waorani, an indigenous Amazonian tribe plagued by deception, exploitation and murder. It's a real-life Avatar story: once under siege by missionaries seeking to civilize them, the Waorani are now battling industry operatives and their own government in a fight to survive. As oil companies encroach and colonisation, deforestation, illegal logging, illegal bush markets, overhunting, oil spills, disease and violations of human rights run rampant, the Waorani struggle to assimilate and their forest eden is destroyed, all for the oil that lies beneath Yasuni. Filmmaker Ryan P. Killackey leads us on an incredible 1,500 mile expedition along 7 rivers, exploring the impact of oil development on the biodiversity of the forest and its people.

The screening will be followed by a Q&A with the filmmaker Ryan P. Killackey.

Nominated for the Emerging Talent Award / United States / 93 mins / Pollywog Productions LLC

Image Credit: Ryan P. Killackey / Pollywog Productions

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