CHIARA CASELLI (the Fazendeira) debuted at the cinema with ‘Il Segreto’ by Francesco Maselli. She was the last actress to win Antonioni’s interest (“Beyond the Clouds”), and she also worked with Liliana Cavani (“Ripley’s Game”) and Gus Van Sant (“My Own Private Idaho”). He was also among the actors of “Garage Olimpo” by Marco Bechis. We recently saw her in “Cover Boy” by Carmine Amoroso, while at the moment she is on the set of “Il Passato è una terra straniera” by Daniele Vicari and ‘Mr Nobody” directed by Jaco Van Dormael.

CLAUDIO SANTAMARIA (The Scarecrow) is engaged at the moment on the set of the new Roberto Faenza’s film. Among his most recent works we remember “Aspettando il Sole” by Ago Panini, “Casinò Royale” by Martin Campbell, “Romanzo Criminale” by Michele Placido, “Ma Quando Arrivano le Ragazze” by Pupi Avati, “Il cartaio” by Dario Argento, “PAZ” by Renato De Maria. He played the main character in “Rino Gaetano – Ma il Cielo è Sempre più Blu” by Marco Turco, and “Il caso Soffiantini” by Riccardo Milani, both on television, and he was the host in the important event of the First of May Concert.

Ademilson Concianza Verga (chiryvy rendy ju, or “boy who shines like catfish”
Also born in Panambizinho, Dourados, Mato Grosso do Sul, 18.09.1992

Admilson, mostly known as Kiqui, is the grandson of recently deceased Ñanderu (religious leader) Lauro Concianza. Kiqui is also the great-grandson of Pai Chiquito Pedro. Before his grandfather passed away, Kiqui learned many Kaiowa traditional chants of him. Word in the village is that he is being trained to become a Nanderu in the future. In Birdwatchers he is “Irineu”

Abrisio Silva Pedro (chirivy poty’i, or “little beautiful boy“)

Born in Panambizinh  territory, Dourados, Mato Grosso do Sul, 03.04.1989. He is the great-grandson of deceased Pai Chiquito pedro (after whom the School of the indigenous territory is named), political and religious leader of the Kaiowas, who secured 60 ha of land in 1940, when the Brazilian Sate opened the area to migrants from all over the country - ignoring the historic resence of the kaiowa.

Panambizinho has only been permanently demarcated for the Kaiowa in 2004. Today they are 400 people in 1260 ha. This is one of the villages where the kunumi pepy ritual was kept until 15 years ago. This is a boys initiation ritual  - a special tree sap was used but nowadays it is virtually impossible to find it in the region.

Ambrisio faced the drama of Kaiowa suicide in his own family. His brother, Mauricio, committed suicide at the age of 18; Ambrisio was 7 at the time. He found his brother, hanged. At the time they were still confined to 60 ha. Mauricio’s suicide coincided with two others, as well as two attempted suicides. This followed the Justice Minister’s broken promise to visit the village and arrange the demarcation. They state that since Panambizinho was demarcated there were no more suicides.

In Birdwatchers, Abrisio is “Oswaldo“, the main character.

Ambrosio Vilhalva (kunumi taperendi, or “boy who shines like the rising sun”)
Born 07.12.1962 - 46 y.o. in 2008

Leader of extended family (possibly the main one) who claim the demarcation of their Tekoha (place where they belong because they or their close kin were born there), Guyra Roka (”Place of the Bird”), in Caarapo, Mato Grosso do sul.

They attempted repossession  (”retomada”)  three times. Twice they were evicted. They camped on the road side for two years. During the last “retomada”, in 2004, they reached a judicial agreement that allows them to occupy approximately 40 ha. While they wait the final demarcation of their territory. Studies carried out by a Government technical group identified 11 000 ha as indigenous by right. But the process is on hold. The MPF has appealed to the Regional federal Court in Sao Paulo. The appeal has not been ruled as of date.

Nowadays, approximately 60 people live in Guyra Roka (GR). But the technical group has identified more than 700 people who are related to GR and who should return as soon as the demarcation becomes definitive.

Ambrosio is the “political leader” of his people. He took part in several “retomadas” in previous years.

He is leader ‘Nadio” in Birdwatchers. Marco Bechis met him just when they had repossessed GR, in 2004.

(from  Press Book by Survival Italia)

LEONARDO MEDEIROS (the Fazendeiro) worked in more than 20 films, among which “To the left of the Father” and “Not by chance”. For his roles he received 6 awards, including the one for Best Actor at Brasilia Film Festival (for the film “Cabra-Cega”), Best Actor at Recife Film Festival (for “Not by chance”) and Best Actor at Huelva Latin American Film Festival (“Not by chance”).

MATHEUS NACHTERGAELE (Dimas) is one of the most popular cinema and television actors in Brazil. For his acting roles in “Mango Yellow”, “Dog’s Will” and “Red Carpet” he was awarded as many as 10 prizes – three of which international – and awards as Best Actors. This year he participated in Cannes Film Festival with his first feature length film as a director, “The Dead Girl’s Feast”.

Eliane Juca da Silva (kuna poty rendy’i or “little girl who shines like the flowers“)

Born 27 February 1988 in the Indigenous Reserve of Dourados, Mato Grosso do Sul. This is the largest Indigenous Reserve in population terms. There are 12 thousand inhabitants within an area of 3 600 ha. The population consists of 3 ethnic groups. This reserve is not well known in Brazil or worldwide. It presents alarming suicide, murder, and child mortality due to malnutrition rates.

Eliane belongs to the Kaiowa family whose close ancestors claim the tekoha Mykureaty, near the Reserve where they live today. In 12 November 2007, Funai signed a Commitment of Conduct Adjustment with the Federal Public Ministry. By doing so, it committed to set up technical groups to carry out studies leading to the identification and delimitation of territorie, including Mykureaty. Works should have started on 30 March 2008 but haven’t done to date. At present, Eliane teaches in a school in the Indigenous Reserve.

In Birdwatchers she is “Mami“.

Alicelia Martins Cabreira (kuna rendy’i or “little girl who shines“)

Born 10 March 1978. Daughter of “rezador” (”paje”, prayer) Nelson Batista Cabreira and Antonia Martins. She was born in Kurumbe but soon afterwards her parents were forced to move to the Dourados Reserve, like so many other Kaiowa. Karumbe’s situation is similar to that of Mbykureaty. Funai promised to set up Technical group in order to carry out studies, which should have started in March 2008. This is the first step towards official recognition of indigenous land.

Alicelia has 5 children. Like so many other Kaiowa, she can’t read and struggles for survival in an overpopulated Reserve. Internal violence, malnutrition and suicide rates are high.

She is “Lia” in Birdwatchers.

ALICELIA BATISTA CABREIRA (28) of the Dourados Reserve plays the role of LIA. She is the mother of five children and works on and off in the sugarbeet plantations.

ELIANE JUCA DA SILVA (19) plays the role of MAMI. As INÉIA ARCE GONÇALVES (18), who is the house-maid NEU, Eliane, too, lives in the Dourados Reserve and teaches in the Indian school with Inéia.

LUCIANE DA SILVA (16) is the GIRL WITH THE STICK of the Guyrà Rokà community.

ABRISIO DA SILVA PEDRO (19), plays OSVALDO and he comes from the Panambizinho community like his friend IRENEU, played by the 15-year-old ADEMILSON CONCIANZA VERGA (nicknamed KIKI). Abrisio works in the sugarbeet plantations while Kiki is following in the steps of his grandfather to become a shaman like him.

AMBROSIO VILHALVA, 45 years old, plays the role of NADIO. With his community, the Guyrà Rokà, Ambrosio reoccupied their native lands 4 years ago and is waiting for their official recognition. Ambrosio accepted with difficulty the idea that his character would die and proposed many times a different ending.

As no shaman can be filmed while he prays, the SHAMAN was a very difficult role to allocate. Atanàs, the most authoritative shaman among the guarani-kaiowà shamans, suggested we could choose among the old men. So we opted for NELSON CONCIANZA, of Panambizinho, who is 72 years old. Nelson followed all the theatre seminars with the younger people and worked non stop for two months. Atanàs later accepted to take part in a scene – he is the second from right among those who appear inside the van which arrives in the night at the end of the film.

TITO, the traitor, is POLI FERNANDEZ SOUZA, the only Guarani-Ñandeva of the cast (the others are all Guarani-Kaiowà). He actively participated in the preparation and immediately accepted to play the role of a traitor.

CLAUDIO SANTAMARIA (The Scarecrow) is engaged at the moment on the set of the new Roberto Faenza’s film. Among his most recent works we remember “Aspettando il Sole” by Ago Panini, “Casinò Royale” by Martin Campbell, “Romanzo Criminale” by Michele Placido, “Ma Quando Arrivano le Ragazze” by Pupi Avati, “Il cartaio” by Dario Argento, “PAZ” by Renato De Maria. He played the main character in “Rino Gaetano – Ma il Cielo è Sempre più Blu” by Marco Turco, and “Il caso Soffiantini” by Riccardo Milani, both on television, and he was the host in the important event of the First of May Concert.

MATHEUS NACHTERGAELE (Dimas) is one of the most popular cinema and television actors in Brazil. For his acting roles in “Mango Yellow”, “Dog’s Will” and “Red Carpet” he was awarded as many as 10 prizes – three of which international – and awards as Best Actors. This year he participated in Cannes Film Festival with his first feature length film as a director, “The Dead Girl’s Feast”.

CHIARA CASELLI (the Fazendeira) debuted at the cinema with ‘Il Segreto’ by Francesco Maselli. She was the last actress to win Antonioni’s interest (“Beyond the Clouds”), and she also worked with Liliana Cavani (“Ripley’s Game”) and Gus Van Sant (“My Own Private Idaho”). He was also among the actors of “Garage Olimpo” by Marco Bechis. We recently saw her in “Cover Boy” by Carmine Amoroso, while at the moment she is on the set of “Il Passato è una terra straniera” by Daniele Vicari and ‘Mr Nobody” directed by Jaco Van Dormael.

LEONARDO MEDEIROS (the Fazendeiro) worked in more than 20 films, among which “To the left of the Father” and “Not by chance”. For his roles he received 6 awards, including the one for Best Actor at Brasilia Film Festival (for the film “Cabra-Cega”), Best Actor at Recife Film Festival (for ‘Not by chance’) and Best Actor at Huelva Latin American Film Festival (“Not by chance”).