Hakani

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Funai Tries to Prevent Film in Brazil

The movie is a part of a campaign to combat the practice of infanticide among tribes of the Amazon. The entity (FUNAI) says that the production generalizes traditions in an inappropriate manner.

Leonel Rocha - Correio Braziliense
Published: 03/07/2008 09:27 Update: 03/07/2008 09:31

The National Indian Foundation (FUNAI) is considering which legal instrument they will use to stop the promoting through the internet and the Brazilian TV of the movie Hakani . With a duration of 36 minutes, the mix of documentary and drama tells the story of two indigenous children buried alive because they where born with physical handicaps, and is part of the campaign against infanticide in the tribes of the Amazon. The ritual is still practiced by several tribes, including the Suruwaha, an ethnic group living on the banks of the Rio Purus, in the state of Amazonas, where the story of the film is happening. It was in that village that the girl Hakani lived. "The Funai is taking steps for the video to be removed from the YouTube site, believing that the content compromises the image of over 220 ethnic groups living in Brazil," says the note from the institution.

Hakani is the name of the girl who was born with hyperthyroidism, and for not developing physically as expected by the tribe, she was buried alive, but rescued by the oldest brother. After being abandoned by the family, the child was adopted by the linguist couple Marcia and Edison Suzuki. The girl, turing 13 years old next Monday, is living and going to school in Brasilia. With versions in Portuguese and English, the film, with minor adaptations, tells the story of Hakani, and can be watched on the site www.hakani.org, made to be the main part of the campaign against infanticide among the Indians. The story of the young Indian was told by this news paper , Correio, last year.

The Funai considers the origin of the movie/the reason behind the movie an "excuse" and fears the inadequate generalization of indigenous tradition. The Foundation (FUNAI) admits that they have asked the Federal Police to investigate the legality of this work. Having the responsibility of the guardianship of the indigenous peoples of Brazil, the leadership of the entity considers that the question addressed by the movie must be treated in a broad discussion about the Universal Human Rights and the cultural relativity of those rights, involving the government, indigenous organizations and the society in general. The Funai knows about the practice, but ensures that it is not common in all the ethnic groups, there now exist alternatives for the sick children to be adopted into other families, to avoid these deaths.

Interference
With scenes considered to be excessively strong and even criminal by anthropologists, the movie was produced by the non-governmental organization (NGO) Atini - which means voice for life - and funded by evangelical institution Youth With an Ideal (Jocum) (YWAM), which is based in the United States and has several offices in Brazil. The institution has specialised in the evangelization of the Indians and the rescue of children destined to die in their tribes because of their handicaps and their special needs.

The former president of FUNAI Mércio Pereira Gomes asked for the interference of the Federal Police, the Ministry of Justice and even the Supreme Federal Court to prevent the promoting of the movie.
"The enactment is criminal. The authors have to be processed and all other responsible should be strictly punished, "protested Mércio.

Besides the scenes in the supposed Suruwaha village Suruwaha, the documentary shows the statement of the Judge Renato Mimessi, in the state of Rondonia, defending the campaign. Included are also the recording of the congress man Mr Francis Praciano (from the party PT-representing the Amazonas state), stating, during a session of the Commission on Human Rights, that the Brazilian Constitution was not made for Indians.
The congressman complained. According to him, the campaign hurts the indigenous culture. "The indigenous practice scares the men living in the cities. But the interference of the religious entities it is also scary, the ones who want to change the culture of the indigenous groups, criminalizing a practice that we still do not know how to understand," he protested.

Mega- produccion
With a production worthy of great fiction films and directed by the American filmmaker David Cunningham (To end all wars), the documentary states that this is "a true story." It was filmed in January on a YWAM farm, on the outskirts of the city of Porto Velho (State of Rondonia ), with the participation of Indians from various ethnic groups who live outside the Indian villages and worked as actors. In some takes, even a helicopter was used to simulate a strong wind/ storm. To shoot the burial of children still alive, the production used a huge chocolate cake to simulate the pit. With the script made by Kevin Miller, and narration in Portuguese by the actress Irene Ravache, the work was co-produced by the Brazilian Enock Freitas and the filmmakers agreed to work as volunteers with the movie, according to YWAM.

The Indians who acted in the movie received salary, even if they are amateurs. "The right to life is more important than the right to preserve the traditions. All cultures evolve and we need to overcome this terrible practice, "said the Indian Eli Ticuna. He, along with his wife and children, are acting in the movie. At the end of the film, the girl appears telling how her life is today, after receiving treatment for her disease.

"The enacting is criminal. The perpetrators must be prosecuted"
Mércio Pereira Gomes, anthropologist

"The right to life is more important than the right to preserve the traditions"
Eli Ticuna, Indian who acts in the movie Hakani