In 1976 Australian Film Maker Bill Leimbach and Belgium award winning director, Jean Pierre Dutilleux made RAONI, about the Politicization of an Amazon Indian Warrior, Raoni Metuktire, the Chief of the Kayapo Indians. Marlon Brando narrated the 35mm picture and it went on win an Oscar Nomination for Best Feature Length Documentary. Jean Pierre has worked with Raoni ever since and in 1989 brought him (along with the Musician STING) to Australia to meet the then Prime Minister, Bob Hawke, to advocate for the demarcation of his tribal land.
film. television. music.
AMAZON DOWN UNDER – Charity Event
A Night in Aid of Climate Change Action
with
The Australian Movie Premiere
“RAONI, AN UNUSUAL FRIENDSHIP”
SIMPLY LIVING magazine 1981
That campaign was a grand success raising considerable attention and donations, which lead to the ultimate demarcation of their own territory. CHIEF RAONI has remained a Warrior for the preservation of the Amazon for 50 years. Now at 78, he is presenting a sequel to that famous Oscar nominated film, sending his two ambassadors, Tapi and Watatakalu, to Australia to premiere the film and campaign for their Rainforest and its indigenous population – highlighting the threats from loggers, fires, illegal farmers and gold diggers devastating their lands and destroying the Climate. Now working alongside Brazil’s new President LULA DA SILVA, Raoni, Tapi and Watatakalu want to save the Amazon for the Climate of the World and they want the World to help.
Tapi Yawalapiti is the oldest son of the late chief Aritana, who in his lifetime unified all the tribes of the Xingu region. Tapi continues the work of his father and is the spiritual heir to chief Raoni.
Below, he discusses the problems facing his Rainforest people with a journalist in Paris four years ago, during the Bolsonaro regime.
Watatakalu Yawalapiti is the VOICE of Amazon tribal woman and an advocate for the preservation of her Rainforest. A modern Indian woman trying to save her homeland in a Rainforest that is changing so fast.
Her quote from the Portuguese:
“The history of Brazil cannot be told without us talking about the contribution of the Indians to our Culture”.
Watatakalu lives in two worlds – taking her people’s concerns to the outside but still participating in the customs of her own Tribe.
Like the women in this Ceremony of the Dead in her own village in 2022:
Along with the Indians’ pursuit, our AMAZON DOWN UNDER campaign is a Call-to-Action for Australian Forests as well. We lose a Forest the size of SYDNEY CBD every day! In 2021 alone, NSW lost 88,000 hectares of Forest, equivalent to 43 megatons of emissions. Raoni’s organisation, AFV Rainforests, will be working with Australian organisation REFOREST NOW to bring awareness and donations to both their causes.
REFOREST NOW was created in 2018 to see largescale reforestation and regeneration of Australian rainforest ecosystems. Their team of scientists, bush regenerators and nursery people, working with partners and passionate individuals have planted 500,000 trees so far in NSW alone. The AMAZON DOWN UNDER event will be a meeting of Deforestation and Reforestation.
The Founder and current Head of ReForest Now, Maximo Bottaro, his colleagues and his team speak of the success of their organisation planting half a million trees and still counting.
Jean Pierre & Raoni 1978
Award-winning Film Director Jean Pierre Dutilleux will accompany Tapi and Watatakalu to present the new film AN UNUSUAL FRIENDSHIP” which is the story of their 50 year relationship as fellow Warriors for the Amazon.
Oli & Louis of Lime Cordiale
As well as the Australian Premiere of the new RAONI film, the night will be full of Guest Presentations on positive Climate Action and Entertainment, provided by friends of LIME CORDIALE.
The brothers Lime having become warriors for Climate Change themselves, harnessing the power of the MUSIC INDUSTRY to create a greener, healthier planet and a safer future.
7:00pm. June 8 2023. Dee Why RSL.
All proceeds to be divided between Raoni’s AFV Rainforest and ReforestNow. Ticket sales on sale soon.
Bill Leimbach
[email protected]
0414 425 519
