Christopher Hewlett

Preliminary abstract: ‘Amahuaca: Building the Future’ derives its inspiration and narrative from the different ways transformation is embodied by Amahuaca people, and expressed in their contemporary lives. Building on earlier work by Robert Carneiro and Gertrude Dole, among others, and 7 ½ years of contemporary research and collaboration with Amahuaca people, the film addresses questions about transformation, representation, memory, and indigenous identities. It will include: archival footage and photographs from the 1960s; music recorded in the 1970s; contemporary footage of Amahuaca social life in different sites; interviews with older people about memories of the past; images of the inauguration of an indigenous cultural center in 2015; and, footage shot by young Amahuaca people employing a new mode of self-expression. It is a collaborative project with award-winning Peruvian filmmaker Fernando Valdivia who is the director of TeleAndes Productions, and leads workshops with young filmmakers in the ‘School of Amazonian Cinema’. The documentary follows Amahuaca people’s re-appropriation of photographic, film and audio materials and how this is reflected in their memories of the past and aspirations for the future.