Shomõtsi, more than a character study

Abstract

This article proposes an analysis of the film Shomõtsi (2001), directed by Ashaninka filmmaker Wewito Piyãko. The 42-minute documentary was produced during a workshop by the NGO Vídeo nas Aldeias (VNA), conducted for the Ashaninka people of the Apiwtxa village in Acre, Brazil. The film presents a chronicle of Shomõtsi's life, emphasizing his daily activities and interactions, which reveal the traditions and peculiarities of Ashaninka culture. Through a detailed analysis of the work, it is possible to identify aesthetic and narrative decisions that highlight the characteristics of Wewito's cinematic gaze; in addition to being the director, narrator, and cinematographer, he is also the protagonist's nephew. In this sense, the article proposes a continuous dialogue between the film's sequences, testimonies from the Ashaninka people themselves, comments from the VNA coordinators, and other works in the field of Indigenous Cinemas. The analysis thus seeks to demonstrate how audiovisual language is used by the Ashaninka to tell a simple, everyday story that simultaneously serves as a portrait of their people's culture and the daily challenges faced by Indigenous peoples in Brazil.