Yanuni is an unflinching documentary from the frontlines of the Brazilian Amazon, where Indigenous leader Juma Xipaia and her husband Hugo fight for their land, life and the future of their unborn child. This is cinema of survival.
Synopsis
Deep in Brazil's Amazon rainforest, Yanuni plunges us into the frontlines alongside Indigenous chief Juma Xipaia, her partner Hugo, and their community as they navigate a landscape under siege. As illegal miners close in on their village and Juma’s pregnancy advances, each day brings fresh tests of their courage, determination, love, and the survival of their unborn child.
Director Richard Ladkani captures the raw power and ancient wisdom of Juma’s people, their rituals, stories, and unbreakable bond with a land now under siege. The film cuts between Hugo's armed riverbank patrols and Juma's defiant speeches at COP26 in Glasgow, exposing the brutal collision between violence and hope. A battle cry demanding we stand with those whose very existence is resistance, Yanuni shatters borders with its urgent truth: defending our home isn't optional—it's survival.
Director: Richard Ladkani | Country: Austria/Brazil/USA/Canada/Germany | Year: 2025 | Running Time: 112 min | Language: Portuguese with English subtitles | Rating: 15
Distributor: Malaika Pictures
Screening Details
- Festival Screening: 14 September 2025 (Closing Night)
- Premiere: Scottish premiere
- Festival Guests: Director Richard Ladkani and producer Anita Ladkani
- Festival Awards: Audience Award
- Encore Screening: 17 February 2026
Trailer
About the filmmaker:
Richard Ladkani is an award-winning director and cinematographer with over fifty documentaries to his credit, spanning urgent environmental, social, and political themes. His acclaimed films include Sea of Shadows (National Geographic/Disney+) and The Ivory Game (Netflix), both executive produced by Leonardo DiCaprio. Sea of Shadows won the Sundance Audience Award, while The Ivory Game was shortlisted for the Academy Awards in 2017.
Other notable works include Jane’s Journey, an acclaimed portrait of Dr. Jane Goodall that was theatrically released in over 40 countries and shortlisted for the Academy Awards, and The Devil’s Miner, which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival. In 2023, he served as Series Director on Arctic Ascent, a climate-focused expedition series for National Geographic/Disney+. In 2015, Richard and his wife Anita founded Malaika Pictures, a production company dedicated to cinematic, impact-driven storytelling.