Rediance, a global sales agent with its headquarters in China, has recently acquired the worldwide rights to the feature documentary “The Falling Sky.” Directed by Eryk Rocha and Gabriela Carneiro da Cunha, the film will have its world premiere at Cannes in May in the Directors Fortnight section. The main subjects of the film are the Amazonian Yanomami people.
“The Falling Sky” is an adaptation of the book of the same name by Davi Kopenawa, a Yanomami shaman and leader, and French anthropologist Bruce Albert. The film captures the Watorikɨ indigenous community participating in a funeral rite known as reahu, which is a collective effort to support the sky and prevent it from falling. Through stunning visuals, intricate sound design, and powerful words from Davi Kopenawa, the film delves into Yanomami cosmology and highlights their knowledge’s importance.
Eryk Rocha’s tenth feature film marks his third appearance at Cannes, where he previously won the L’Oeil d’Or Award for “Cinema Novo” in 2016. Gabriela Carneiro da Cunha is his co-director and is a Brazilian artist, theater director, performer, filmmaker, and environmental art activist with extensive experience working in the Brazilian Amazon. The duo previously collaborated on “Edna” and a collection of short films directed by Yanomami filmmakers.
“The Falling Sky” was produced by Aruac Filmes and 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 is also actively promoting its recent Berlin titles, including Nele Wohlatz’s “Sleep With Your Eyes Open” and Qu Youjia’s “She Sat There Like All Ordinary Ones.” Last year, Rediance was involved in handling Anthony Chen’s “The Breaking Ice,” demonstrating their commitment to showcasing diverse and impactful cinema from around the world.