Eryk Rocha and Gabriela Carneiro da Cunha’s “The Falling Sky” has been acquired by Rediance for world sales rights. The film, which premieres at Cannes in the Directors Fortnight section next month, is based on the book of the same title by shaman Davi Kopenawa and French anthropologist Bruce Albert. It portrays the indigenous community of Watorikɨ as they engage in a funeral rite called reahu, a collective effort to hold up the sky and prevent it from falling.
Rediance praised the spellbinding images, meticulous sound design, and powerful message conveyed by Davi Kopenawa, tapping into the beauty of Yanomami cosmology and its xapiri spirits while highlighting the geopolitical importance of their knowledge. The film serves as a poignant shamanic critique of the destruction of the Yanomami’s traditional way of life due to intrusion from white prospectors and civilized society.
Eryk Rocha’s “The Falling Sky” is his tenth feature film and his third time showcasing his work at Cannes. Co-director Gabriela Carneiro da Cunha is a multi-talented Brazilian artist, theater director, performer, filmmaker, and environmental activist who has dedicated over a decade to working with indigenous communities in Brazil. Together with Aruac Filmes, Hutukara Associação Yanomami, Stemal Entertainment with Rai Cinema, Les Films d’Ici co-produced this film.
In addition to “The Falling Sky,” Rediance will also handle Chinese-speaking territories for Miguel Gomes’ “Grand Tour,” which premieres in the Official Selection’s main competition at Cannes. The company continues to work on its recent Berlin titles including Nele Wohlatz’s “Sleep With Your Eyes Open,” Qu Youjia’s “She Sat There Like All Ordinary Ones,” Anthony Chen’s “The Breaking Ice.”
