Embrace of the Serpent
Directed by Ciro Guerra
Tracking two parallel odysseys through the Amazon, this historical epic from the fiercely talented Colombian filmmaker Ciro Guerra offers ethno-botanical adventure, mysticism, and a heart-rending depiction of colonialism laying waste to indigenous culture. In 1909, a canoe bearing ailing German explorer Theo arrives at river’s edge, where the young shaman Karamakate, ostensibly the last member of a decimated tribe, waits warily. Theodor is searching for a rare flower that he believes could cure him of his fatal illness. Karamakate agrees to help only after Theodor promises to lead him to other surviving members of his tribe. Their journey takes them through rivers and jungles ravaged by European interference. Meanwhile, in a parallel narrative set in the same region in 1940, American explorer Evan conducts his own search for the elusive flower in the company of an older Karamakate in a landscape brutalized by the rubber trade.
Tracking two parallel odysseys through the Amazon, this historical epic from the fiercely talented Colombian filmmaker Ciro Guerra offers adventure, mysticism, and a heart-rending depiction of colonialism laying waste to indigenous culture.
Cast: Jan Bijvoet