Statement 2019
Transcription of the statement for the 21st Biennial
My friendship with Shapu, mediated by mutual friends, but also by the camera influenced my decision to take a master’s degree. In the scientific research project, I developed a rationale for an audiovisual workshop: using participatory methodologies, I would investigate how film and its instruments are a “modern” form of shamanism, trying to catalyze shamanic elements in the cinematographic eye of the Matis and take indigenous knowledge, esteem and criticism seriously, on the assumption that the filmmaking process could be “indigenized.” Thus was born Sobre cameras, espíritos e ocupações. The editing process was cooperative within the limits of time constraints and individual requirements, taking care not to stagnate in the intermittency of ethics, both in the production and the dissemination of these images and this work. When I returned to Holland I had to “adapt” what we had produced to an international audience, and I ended up creating the final part—a personal catharsis—with material that seemed to fit neither Shapu’s film nor the Kanamari occupation.
Markus Enk, member of Alto Amazonas Audiovisual
One of the main reasons for choosing to film the Corn Festival is that we cannot forget our celebrations, the way we live, the way we eat. It is important to remember such things, how we live and how we listen to the elders in our communal hut. When I go back to the village, I can show what happens in Brazil through the videos about our relatives’ struggles, I show them to the chief, to the elders, to everyone, how our relatives are organizing themselves and resisting.
Today, by recording the memory of our elders, we can document our past, which can then serve as research for our own people. That is my work in the future. Here in the village, I cannot let the memory of my father be forgotten, I cannot let people forget the paintings, the hunting, the animals and how we eat, our past, how we live now—that is historical.
Shapu Mëo Matis, member of Alto Amazonas Audiovisual
We have very different backgrounds—an indigenous photographer and a Master of Anthropology—and the exchange is indispensable: the non-native offers his knowledge and the native presents his. However, when we film, observe, sense each other and give our opinions, the gradual resolution of conflicts generates partnerships, friendship and trust, over and above technical or academic knowledge. The village lacks many things: camera, notebook, editing software, notepads, technical training. The partnerships have to be sensitive to the particulars of the areas and their people, getting personally involved not only to record, but also to edit and spread this material, acknowledging the indigenous people as protagonists in this process. Moreover, it involves having the sensitivity to look at the images and hear those voices, allowing oneself to be affected. That way we can create unexpected things for both sides, breaking boundaries and blending stories. Thus we can contribute to the process of accepting differences, whether reflecting on our own culture or even identifying the limits of our ways of life
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Markus Enk and Shapu Mëo Matis