Canuto's Transformation
by Ariel Kuaray Ortega and Ernesto de Carvalho
CANUTO'S TRANSFORMATION
2023 / Portuguese, Guarani and Spanish / Drama / 130 min / 2K / Color
Enquadramento Produções | Vídeo nas Aldeias
DIRECTOR Ariel Kuaray Ortega and Ernesto de Carvalho
WRITER Ariel Kuaray Ortega, Ernesto de Carvalho, Miguel Antunes Ramos, Patrícia Ferreira and Ralf Ortega
PRODUCER Leonardo Mecchi, Vincent Carelli and Ernesto de Carvalho
CINEMATOGRAPHER Camila Freitas
EDITOR Ernesto de Carvalho and Tatiana Almeida
CAST Fabricio "Álvaro" Benitez, Thiny Ramirez, Carla Benitez
SELECTIONS AND AWARDS
IDFA – International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (Netherlands)
Best Film
Outstanding Artistic Contribution
Tempo Documentary Festival (Sweden)
Honorable Mention
Festival de Cinéma Latino-américain de Paris (France)
Best Film
Jean Rouch International Film Festival (France)
Best Film
PerSo - Perugia Social Film Festival (Italy)
Best Film
Taiwan International Documentary Festival (Taiwan)
Cinélatino – Rencontres de Toulouse (France)
Festival Internacional de Cine de Cartagena de Indias (Colombia)
Mumbai International Film Festival (India)
Doc Buenos Aires (Argentina)
Festival de cinéma de Douarnenez (France)
Festival EDOC – Encuentros del Otro Cine (Ecuador)
Festival Brésil en Mouvements (France)
Bienal Contemporánea TEA (Spain)
Festival Oberá en Cortos (Argentina)
Muestra Internacional Documental de Bogotá (Colombia)
Festival de Brasília (Brazil)
Best Director
Best Cinematography
Best Screenplay (Affirmative Theme)
Gramado Film Festival (Brazil)
Best Film
Best Director
Best Cinematography
Best Actor
Festival Internacional de Cinema da Fronteira (Brazil)
Best Film
Best Film - Audience Award
Best Editing
FICA - International Festival of Environmental Film (Brazil)
Best Film
Ecofalante Environmental Film Festival (Brazil)
Special Mention
Tiradentes Film Festival (Brazil)
Curitiba International Film Festival (Brazil)
Cine Kurumin (Brazil)
Mostra CineBH (Brazil)
SYNOPSIS
In a small Mbyá-Guarani community between Brazil and Argentina, everyone knows the name Canuto: a man who many years ago suffered the dreaded transformation into a Jaguar and then died tragically. Now, a film is being made to tell his story. Why did this happen to him? But more importantly: who in the village should play his role?
DIRECTOR'S BIOGRAPHY
Ariel Ortega is a pioneer indigenous filmmaker and Mbyá-Guarani leader behind celebrated films such as “Two villages one path” (2008) and "Nhanderú’s Bicycles” (2010) alongside other Guarani indigenous filmmakers, through Vídeo has Aldeias (“Video in the Villages”) workshops, and also "Guarani Exile” (2011) and "Tava - the house of stone (2012)" directed alongside Ernesto de Carvalho, Patrícia Yxapy Ferreira, and Vincent Carelli. Ariel is a member of the Mbyá- Guarani Cinema Collective (Brazil) and the Ara Pyau Cinema Collective (Argentina). Also directed the short film “Our Spirits Keep Coming”(2021) with Bruno Huyer and Patrícia Yxapy Ferreira.
Ernesto de Carvalho is a Brazilian filmmaker, photographer, and editor, with an Anthropology Ph.D. from New York University, has collaborated with Mbyá-Guarani communities on films for over 15 years through the Vídeo nas Aldeias project. Co-director and photographer of the celebrated feature documentary “Martírio” (2016), winner of many international prizes. Ran workshops that produced several indigenous films such as “I've Already Become an Image” (2008). Directed alongside Ariel Ortega, Patricia Yxapy Ferreira, and Vincent Carelli the films “Guarani Exile” (2011) and "Tava - the House of Stone” (2012). Also directed the acclaimed short film “It’s Never Nighttime in the Map” (2016).
