Embrace of the Serpent (2015)

The story of the relationship between Karamakate, an Amazonian shaman and last survivor of his people, and two scientists who work together over the course of forty years to search the Amazon for a sacred healing plant.

Director:

Ciro Guerra

Writers:

Ciro Guerra, Theodor Koch-Grünberg (based on the diary by) (as Theodor Koch-Grunberg)

Stars:

Nilbio Torres, Jan Bijvoet, Antonio Bolívar

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 46 wins & 32 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Nilbio Torres	...	Young Karamakate
Antonio Bolívar	...	Old Karamakate (as Tafillama-Antonio Bolívar Salvador)
Jan Bijvoet	...	Theo
Brionne Davis	...	Evan
Miguel Dionisio Ramos	...	Manduca (as Yauenkü Miguee)
Luigi Sciamanna	...	El Misionero
Nicolás Cancino	...	El Mesías
Pediwake Daniel Martinez	...	Santiago
José Sabogal	...	El Siringuero
Marcilio Paiva	...	Tuschaua
Jaime Pereira	...	Payé Cohiuano
Marisel Mosquera	...	Mujer Pueblo Cohiuano
Pedro Bolívar	...	Borracho Cohiuano
Jorge Villa	...	Joven Cohiuano herido
Mauricio Hernández	...	Niño Cohiuano

Storyline

The story of the relationship between Karamakate, an Amazonian shaman and last survivor of his people, and two scientists who work together over the course of forty years to search the Amazon for a sacred healing plant.

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Plot Keywords:

shaman | plant | amazon river | nonlinear timeline | amazonian indian | 

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Genres:

Adventure | Biography | Drama

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Did You Know?

Trivia

First Colombian film nominated for an Academy Award for Best Foreign Film.

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Quotes

Young Karamakate: A chullachaqui. We all have one, it resembles us, but it is empty, hollow. A chullachaqui has no memory. He just wanders the world, empty, like a ghost, lost in a time without time.

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Connections

Featured in Starfilm (2017)

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Soundtracks

Trance (Trance Aereo)
by Nascuy Linares
© 2016 Plaza Mayor Company, Ltd.

User Reviews

White men messing up traditions

I love how this movie is put together. By combining the accounts of two explorers - over 30 years apart - it manages to tell a story of a world changing. You can see how actions made by the first explorer directly changes the world of the people they meet. Mostly in a bad way. The movie conveys, with a sadness, how much the people of these tribes lost because of the way they were handled by "white people". But this is not the time tested "gone with the wolves"-story. It's an artistic and stylistic, yet believable, account of the old meeting the new.

One thought though: While it is an interesting discussion why it's in black and white, I think the movie would have been better off in color. At least partly. Black and white is nice, but the jungle scenery in this movie could have been breathtaking in color - but the again, maybe that's the point.

Details

Official Sites:

Official site Official site [Japan]

Country:

Colombia Venezuela Argentina

Language:

Spanish Portuguese Aboriginal German Catalan Latin English

Release Date:

25 May 2015 (Colombia)

Also Known As:

Embrace of the Serpent

Filming Locations:

Vaupés, Colombia

Box Office

Budget:

$1,400,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$50,955, 21 February 2016

Gross USA:

$1,329,249

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$3,217,176

Company Credits

Production Co:

Buffalo Films, Buffalo Producciones, Caracol Televisión

Technical Specs

Runtime:

125 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Black and White Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1