UÝRA – The Rising Forest

‘"It is a documentary in the sense that it centers on the real life of a real person, but its structure is loose and impressionistic, trying to submerge you in Uýra’s world rather than explain it to you. [...] Redefining Gender in the Amazon.”‘

‘Two days after the Television Academy honored GLAAD with its 2023 Governors Award at the Primetime Emmys, the group has released the nominees for the 35th annual GLAAD Media Awards. See the full list below.‘

‘While traveling through the Amazon, Uýra shares ancestral knowledge with Indigenous youth to promote the significance of identity and place, threatened by Brazil’s oppressive political regime. Through dance, poetry, and stunning characterization, Uýra boldly confronts historical racism, transphobia, and environmental destruction, while emphasizing the interdependence of humans and the environment.‘

‘Juliana Curi’s and Uýra Sodoma's visually stunning, Uýra: The Rising Forest, is about an Amazonian indigenous trans performance artist who uses their craft to inspire indigenous and riverside youths to connect to themselves, their ancestors, and their environment in Brazil.‘

‘The documentary features jury included the International Documentary Association’s Kristal Sotomayor, book editor and journalist Jackson Howard and filmmaker-editor Niq Lewis, all of whom lauded Curi’s “meditative and experimental filmmaking,” after dubbing UÝRA an “intricate weaving of environmental activism, indigeneity, performance art, queerness and transness.”‘

‘Special Programming Award for Freedom: Uyra: The Rising Forest‘

‘SPECIAL PROGRAMMING AWARDS Freedom UÝRA: THE RISING FOREST‘

‘“One of those rare pieces of cinema which could permanently change the way you think.”‘

‘“Uýra: A Retomada da Floresta é uma obra sensorial e sensitiva, dividida em três atos – Uma terra pelada; Reconhecem-se as espécies pioneiras; e Para uma sucessão ecológica –, que parte do desalento para tracejar combatividades.”‘

‘“The way Uýra performances and takes the viewer into their universe is how you make a film like this.”‘

‘“Eschewing formal production techniques as well as any dominant-culture framing, Brazilian filmmaker Juliana Curi translates the energy of the Amazon. This approach yields unique results. The best moments connect visually, almost as living paintings. Captivating and one-of-a-kind work”‘

‘"UÝRA: The Rising Forest is an important and radical documentary that shines a light on the disproportionate impact the climate crisis has on queer and racialized communities".‘

‘“Uyra: The Rising Forest blurs the lines and boundaries that divide the documentary and fiction, as we are transported to the ancestral Amazonian enchanted world. A journey well worth taking.”‘

‘"Uýra is a compelling subject for a documentary and brings a true artist’s eye to their performances.”‘

‘“Director Juliana Curi’s debut film is an under-the-radar doc about the inspiring Brazilian trans-indigenous artist Uýra Sodoma, and it’s an absolute gem. Curi takes a transcendental visual approach to her subject and it poetically punctuates what Uýra is trying to get across to younger generations: that preserving the environment comes from the same place as appreciating LGBTQ identity. You do need to see it on a big screen.”‘