Abstract
Based on a brief reflection on indigenous cinema, this article presents a comparative study between two productions, one Brazilian and the other Canadian. In the documentary Topawa (2020), a collective of Parakana filmmakers from the Amazon region in Brazil presents the process of production of traditional hammocks. In Waban-aki: People from Where the Sun Rises (2007), Canadian filmmaker Alanis Obomsawin presents a lyrical portrait of her people, the Abenaki, in the contemporary struggle to keep traditional basketry alive. Even considering the differences in the production context of the two documentaries, both explore a common theme, the role of traditional activities in the complex process of (re)construction of cultural identity in the face of historical adversities. The two productions also illustrate that indigenous cinema goes beyond local borders to encompass a wider movement in the Americas and the world for indigenous political affirmation and cultural renaissance.
Keywords
documentary; indigenous cinema; Brazil; Canada