Photo: The Song of the Butterflies follows Rember Yahuarcani's artistic journey. Photo courtesy of PBS / provided by Cinema Tropical with permission.
The song of the butterflies, the new documentary by debutant Nรบria Frigola Torrent, is scheduled to premiere on Monday, August 30 at 10 p.m. as part of the Pov program on PBS. The film tells the story of Rember Yahuarcani, an indigenous painter from the Garza Blanca clan of the Uitoto Nation in Peru, according to press releases.
As a painter, Yahuarcani is a fascinating person to learn from because his history is so intertwined with the history of Peru and the Uitoto Nation. At a young age, he attempted a successful career in Lima, the capital of Peru, and only later in life did he return to the Amazon community of Pebas to draw inspiration from his family and culture, in particular his mother and father, both. artists too.
In telling the story of Yahuarcani, The song of the butterflies It essentially tells the story of the indigenous people and the unique culture of the Uitoto Nation and the persistent challenges of economic interests that invade their ancestral practices. It is an extraordinary story of resilience, creativity, devastation, and art.
"I was very interested in the stories about indigenous migrants in Lima, so I started in 2014 through documentary research to look for characters," Torrent said in a recent telephone interview. "So, in this search, many people pointed to me [to] Rember. They told me he is a painter. It is interesting. So he was in Lima and we met in a cafeteria. And in that first conversation, I think we had a click. I remember that in that conversation with him and with other people I was meeting, I asked him what it meant to him to be a good Uitoto. โฆ He told me: 'My grandmother Marta told me that a good Uitoto is someone who knows his story and knows how to spread it.' โฆ So in that first conversation, it was two years before the actual shooting started, I think we had the essence of the film โ.
Torrent said it took a long time to gain the painter's trust. She began by showing him various works that she had completed as a producer, in this way he knew she would create a serious work of art. Then, throughout the intervening years, she kept reminding him that they were working towards a finished product, although the timeline was quite long, lasting more than six years.
"Also, it took time in the second phase to accept us into their study," he said. โIt was not so easy to be there when I was painting because at the beginning it told me that I really can't paint when I have peopleโฆ so it took time. And it was really nice because I started going solo, and sometimes we recorded some interviews as audio. Then we went with Nicolas [Landa], the director of photography, and then for a few days we went with a whole team, including the producer, the sound engineer and even lights because it was important to have a beautiful portrait of their painting as well as their father and mother because as they are artists. The shooting had to be with a small crew, but with adequate lighting for the pictures and everything. "
Torrent said that though The song of the butterflies focuses on a particular person, the film has universal themes that show the relationships between indigenous communities, and these themes can be identifiable from Alaska to Tierra del Fuego, Argentina, as she put it.
"I am always very clear that I do not speak for the indigenous people," said the director. โTogether with Rember and his family, we have built this story, expecting him to connect with other people, probably mainly indigenous communities, but I also believe that he can connect with non-indigenous people. โฆ I hope it is more universal. For example, it is something that moves me a lot and I am not indigenous โ.
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
The song of the butterflies, directed by Nรบria Frigola Torrent, will premiere on Monday, August 30 at 10 pm on the PBS program POV. Click here for more information.
