Uýra: The Rising Forest (Uýra: A Retomada da Floresta) 

In this film, bursting with all the colours of the rainbow, Uýra, a non-binary visual artist is travelling through the Amazon rainforests. Being simultaneously on a journey to the depth of their soul, they carry the message for indigenous youth to keep the secrets and knowledge about this ancient forest.

In Brazil, a country that kills the highest number of young transgender people, indigenous youth and environmentalists, Uýra leads the movement which supports the idea of community through art and education. Their art is a metaphor for processes going on in nature while being an overview of challenges for local communities. What we see here is the destruction of land and aggression towards everything that is alive; on the other hand, we can watch the cycle of rebirth. The new species emerge, beginning a stronger ecosystem.

Juliana Curi, who directed “Uýra”, points out that while being a Latino woman living in the USA, she passes at the same time as a white woman in Brazil. That makes her understand her privilege in a system that supports inequalities to such an extent.

We shouldn’t watch this film straight from a European, West-centered perspective. The lines between fiction and documentary are blurred here; music, traditional dance and rituals make the viewers feel the spectacular Amazonian forest right here, just around them.

🏆 Frameline San Francisco International LGBTQ Film Festival 2022 – Best Documentary Feature, Audience Award
🏆 L.A. Outfest 2022 – Special Programming Award for Freedom
🏆 40th Chicago LGBTQ+ International Film Festival 2022 – Best Documentary Feature, Jury Award
🏆 32. Oslo/Fusion Int. Film Festival 2022 – Documentary Feature Award
🏆 NewFest’s 34th New York LGBTQ+ Film Festival 2022 – Grand Jury Award
🏆 OUTshine LGBTQ+ Film Festival 2022 – Best Documentary, Jury Award
🏆 London Film Week 2022 – LFW Award, Jury Prize