Ethnographic films

2002/02 - Daily conversations (duration 51 mn) Youtube Facebook

The ethnologist is an intermediary between his hosts’ society and our society. For this, he tries to get rid of the things of his own culture, to adapt himself to his hosts’ way of life. The ultimate objective of his work is to share his experience with the society who helped him to have this experience, when he returns to his own country. The purpose of this movie is to dive deeply in the life of a contemporary Amazonian society, as a foreigner can’t observe it at once, but only after a long stay. To show some Yucunas’ speeches and tasks, as they are in the daily life. Because every task is pleasure, or pretext for pleasure, when it is entertained with appropriate speeches.
Subtitles in English, Spanish, French or Japanese. Dialogues : Return home 2 p. ; Cassava 2 p. ; The Grandson 1 p. ;
The visit of Luisa 2 p.; Preparing snuff 8 p ; Break in a shelter 6 p.

2002/08/02 - A Peach Palm Ceremony at Gregorio's roundhouse (duration 73 mn) Youtube

Two days and two nights of dances and chants for the famous Peach Palm Ceremony (esp. ver. baile de chontaduro) in the Comeyafu Community, near La Pedrera. Day and night, guests and hosts exchange their ceremonial dialogues and their coca.

Extended version 213 mn (3 h 33 mn) Youtube

2003/07/25 - Felling the trees for Milciades (duration 59 mn) Youtube Facebook

Milcíades and his two son, Edilberto and Rey invited people to participate in a cooperative work (minga in vernacular spanish) for clearing the land which will be their future garden. During the work itself, sexual jokes abound ...

Subtitles in English, French, Spanish or Yucuna.

Dialogues : Reception 15 mn Youtube Facebook 8 p. ; Departure 7 mn Youtube Facebook 2 p. ; Clearing the forest 26 mn Youtube Facebook 9 p. ; Break 7 mn Youtube Facebook 4 p. ; Return 3 mn Youtube Facebook 2 p.

2004/10/23 - A coopératif work in Camaritagua (duration 10 mn) Youtube Facebook

During a morning cooperative work to cut down trees on the Camaritagua community land, the break is an opportunity to quench one's thirst, chat and joke...

Subtitles in English, French, Spanish or Yucuna.

Dialogues : 6 p.

2008/02/01 - A meeting to chew coca at Mario MATAPI's roundhouse (duration 40 mn) Youtube Facebook

Adults from the multi-ethnic Camaritagua community gather to chew coca during a nighttime community meeting. Before members of the Yucuna, Matapi, Tanimuca, and Miraña community, healers pronounce incantations in a low voice to fix the world and predict the dangers of the coming months. The community leader listens and translates their diagnoses into Spanish in public.

Subtitles in English, French, Spanish or Yucuna.

2009/07/14 - A night of treatment and drunkenness at Milciades' place (duration 8 mn) Youtube Facebook

Several rituals take place simultaneously during a family evening: Milciades performs a cure for protection against revenge for his son, then an incantation to neutralize the pineapple alcohol drunk that evening. Edilberto, his son, pronounces a protective incantation with genipa to protect his sick father. His brother-in-law César repeats the pineapple alcohol chant to him while waiting for the alcohol to properly ferment... (Cf. Fontaine, 2014)

Subtitles in English, French, Spanish or Japanese.

Dialogues : pdf 2 p.

2009/08/14 - A baptism with vegetable salt at Mario MATAPI's house (duration 11 mn) Youtube Facebook

Mario, a traditional curandero, chanted an incantation for the baptism and the protection of four of his grandchildren with salt vegetable (yuc. jiwi). After midnight, Mario announced the results of the treatment to the parents. The godfathers performed the ritual gestures of baptism for their young godchildren.

Subtitles in English, French or Yucuna.

2003/08 - Myth of the eel (duration 11 mn) Youtube

Narrator : Milciades YUCUNA

An eel comes to visit children while their parents take care of their gardens. Every day, she secretly offers them food, which is none other than the residue of her slimy body. Questioned daily by their parents, the children end up telling them everything. They kill the eel and eat it with them.

Subtitles in English, French or Yucuna.pdf 7 p.

2003/08 - Mythe de Kapiyú (l'origine de la coca) - Version de Milciades YUCUNA (duration 21 mn) Youtube

This is one of the episodes of the myth of Kanumá. Je'chú (Heavens) unsuccessfully asks his son-in-law Kanumá to come see him after he took his daughter as his wife. Kanumá sends his youngest Kapiyú to his place, to accompany his wife to his father-in-law. The latter, furious, then makes Kapiyú chew coca, which makes him age and turns him into coca. Kanumá then mourns his brother. Then, he will make sure the preparation of coca becomes the collective work of men, instead of magically preparing effortlessly.

Subtitles in English, French or Yucuna. pdf 10 p.

Films with French, Spanish or Japanese subtitles are also available.  Please click the language link to watch them.