Takumã Kuikuro is a Brazilian filmmaker from the indigenous village of Ipatse in the Upper Xingu region in Mato Grosso. Last year, he was in the British capital to promote his work and the indigenous culture, presenting the film Hyper Women. He also took the opportunity to shoot its newest documentary, London as a Village, with premiere scheduled for February 15th at the Embassy of Brazil, followed by a Q&A with him.
When he was in London to explore, with a camera in hands, the similarities and differences between Kuikuro and Londoner cultures, Takumã gave an interview to the Brasil Observer. He explained: “My role is to film our community’s culture. I am responsible for documenting and teaching. First I document the ritual and then make a simple sequence to edit. Our films are then used to teach our young people.”
Takumã also spoke about some difficulties he had at the beginning. “People thought I was going to sell everything. Sometimes they even broke my camera and put me out of the village. Some even have the impression that I am getting a lot of money. And I need to explain that it is not to make money but to preserve and promote our culture to the world, representing the Kuikuro people and the indigenous culture.”
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Originally published in the Brasil Observer edition 35
