China-based international sales agent Rediance has acquired world sales rights to “The Falling Sky,” a feature documentary that will premiere next month at Cannes in the Directors Fortnight section. Directed by Eryk Rocha and Gabriela Carneiro da Cunha, the film focuses on the Amazonian Yanomami people. The story is based on the book of the same title by shaman and Yanomami leader Davi Kopenawa and French anthropologist Bruce Albert. It portrays the indigenous community of Watorikɨ as they engage in a funeral rite called the reahu, a collective effort to hold up the sky and prevent it from falling.
The film serves as a poignant shamanic critique of the destruction of the Yanomami’s traditional way of life due to the intrusion of the napë, white prospectors, and the civilized world into the Yanomami territory. Rediance commented on 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 underlining the geopolitical importance of their knowledge.
“The Falling Sky” is Eryk Rocha’s tenth feature film and his third time showcasing his work at Cannes. His previous film, “Cinema Novo,” won the L’Oeil d’Or Award in 2016. Co-director Gabriela Carneiro da Cunha is a multi-talented Brazilian artist, theater director, performer, filmmaker, and environmental activist who has dedicated more than a decade to working with the Brazilian Amazon. The duo previously collaborated on the 2021 film “Edna” and a collection of 2023 short films directed by Yanomami filmmakers.
The film is produced by Aruac Filmes, co-produced by Hutukara Associação Yanomami and Stemal Entertainment with Rai Cinema, in collaboration with Les Films d’Ici. In addition to “The Falling Sky,” Rediance will also handle Chinese-speaking territories for the co-production project “Grand Tour” by Miguel Gomes, premiering 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” and Qu Youjia’s “She Sat There Like All Ordinary Ones,” as well as Anthony Chen’s “The Breaking Ice.”