
Cleveland Premiere
Showings
About This Film
Film Overview
YANUNI is a cinematic portrait of Juma Xipaia, an Indigenous chief from the Brazilian Amazon who rises from a remote village to the frontlines of climate justice. After surviving six assassination attempts, she is appointed Brazil’s first Secretary of Indigenous Rights—while her husband, a federal IBAMA agent, leads dangerous operations against illegal gold miners. As Juma navigates political power, growing threats, and impending motherhood, she is forced to confront the personal cost of resistance. At once intimate and epic, YANUNI is a powerful story of Indigenous sovereignty, love, and the urgent fight to protect the planet we call home.
Programmer's Comment:
"Taking us to the front lines of the fight for Indigenous rights in Brazil, the film follows Juma as she bears the weight of becoming the face of a movement. It moves with the urgency of an action movie, anchored by a deeply human emotional heartbeat. One of my favorite documentaries of the year." – Ryan