YANUNI
From producer Leonardo DiCaprio and director Richard Ladkani, YANUNI closes out Tribeca 2025 with a call to action and the story of a feminist hero who should be a household name. Juma Xipaia has survived six assassination attempts as the first female Indigenous chief of her people in the Middle Xingu. She and her husband are fierce environmental warriors in a raging battle for ownership of the Amazon.
Ladkani’s camerawork and sound design are immersive. You can feel each unnerving protest moment in your bones. Footage in Juma’s home is viscerally spiritual and powerfully juxtaposed with the devastating destruction of the surrounding forests. Illegal mining pits are poisoning the water, and the criminals invading the lands are raping and murdering the villagers.
Juma and her people are emotionally, physically, and spiritually drained. Juma’s safety keeps her separated from her children, and her relentless speaking schedule wears her down. It is no surprise that it is a woman, a mother, who stands to protect others. The most successful governing bodies have female leadership. “With great power comes great responsibility,” and Yuma accepts all that entails.
The film follows the 2022 Brazilian elections. The volatility in the streets is palpable. Speaking to eligible voters is life-threatening. While the outcome of the election is positive for the progression of the country, new roles for both Yuma and her husband, Hugo Loss, put them in even more danger than before.
Ladkani takes us inside the infiltration of an illegal mining operation and its subsequent controlled burn destruction. Their missions are high-risk and heavily armed on both sides.
Juma’s action mirrors every indigenous population’s fight against deeper colonization and capitalism. The film premieres at Tribeca during a particularly auspicious time in America, on the same day nearly 11 million people took to the streets for the No Kings protests. But Juma has had to fight for many more generations to protect her people, territory, and culture. The fight continues.
YANUNI is the type of educational feature that deserves to loop on IMAX screens in every museum. It is an inspiring war cry for climate justice. Juma Xipaia is a role model for every young person. She is the personification of Mother Earth. Her bravery and passion serve as an example. She is all of us.
YANUNI –
Director: Richard Ladkani
Producer: Juma Xipaia, Leonardo DiCaprio, Anita Ladkani, Richard Ladkani, Jennifer Davisson, Phillip Watson
Screenwriter: Richard Ladkani
Cinematographer: Richard Ladkani
Composer: H. Scott Salinas
Editor: Georg Michael Fischer
Executive Producer: Dax Dasilva, Joanna Natasegara, Laura Nix, Eric Terena, Martin Choroba, Philipp Schall
Second Camera: Fábio Nascimento
Original Title Song: Katú Mirim
Vocals: Djuena Tikuna
Cast: Juma Xipaia, Hugo Loss YANUNI
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