Sales agency Utopia Docs has shared the international trailer in exclusivity with Variety for 'Canuto's Transformation,' the acclaimed film that secured the best film and outstanding artistic contribution awards in the Envision section of the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam. Following its success at IDFA, the film has been selected for prestigious festivals such as Taiwan Documentary Festival, Cinelatino Toulouse, Jean Rouch Film Festival, and Tempo Doc Fest. Descoloniza Filmes is set to distribute the film in Brazil.
'Canuto's Transformation,' directed by Ariel Kuaray Ortega and Ernesto de Carvalho, delves into the intriguing tale of Canuto, a man who underwent a mysterious metamorphosis into a jaguar before meeting a tragic end. The film uniquely blends documentary elements with a re-enactment of Canuto's story, with all roles portrayed by members of a Mbyá-Guaraní community situated on the Brazil-Argentina border.
This cinematic endeavor marks the culmination of over a decade of collaboration between Ortega and de Carvalho, stemming from their initial teacher-student dynamic during video workshops in Mbyá-Guarani communities in southern Brazil. What began as a professional relationship evolved into a deep friendship that spawned multiple film projects.
In a joint statement, the directors expressed, 'Our filmmaking journey commenced with documentaries in a direct cinema style, focusing on daily life, memory, and territory to amplify the polyphony of the Guarani world through cinema. The narrative of Canuto has been a persistent theme we aspired to explore since the early stages of our partnership. Through stylistic experimentation, we discovered our unique approach to narrating this tale.'
The directors aimed to immerse viewers in a transcultural odyssey that blurs boundaries between Brazil and Argentina, reality and fiction, humanity and animality, and actual individuals and fictionalized personas. They elaborated on the film's central theme, stating, 'Our protagonist, from childhood, exhibited symptoms of the dreaded ailment leading to jaguar transformation, symbolizing the perils of straying from human connections and community bonds.'
Reflecting on the filmmaking process, the directors highlighted the profound insights gained into the essence of transformation. They emphasized the collaborative spirit of the Mbyá-Guarani community, which lived through the depicted events decades ago, as integral to the storytelling experience.
Throughout the creative journey, unexpected discoveries emerged, including a young actor embodying the character with remarkable authenticity, a surreal wooden structure at the community's heart prompting contemplation of the external world, and a narrative thread of colonial violence intertwining with community dynamics, reshaping lives in unforeseen ways.
