Acre, Brazil · The Amazon
This story begins in the heart of the forest, but it belongs to all of us. Because the future of the Amazon, the future of women, and ultimately our shared future, are inseparably connected.
A feature documentary created in collaboration with the Huni Kuin women.
This story begins in the heart of the forest, but it belongs to all of us. Because the future of the Amazon, the future of women, and ultimately our shared future, are inseparably connected.
Huni Kuin · Activist, Artist & Secretary, Ainbu Dayá
Huni Kuin · Women's Leader & President, Ainbu Dayá
Huni Kuin · Young Leader
Huni Kuin · Artist · Member, Kaya Tibu & MAHKU
Huni Kuin · Co-Founder, Ainbu Dayá & Artist
Huni Kuin · Women's Leader & Vice President, Ainbu Dayá
Huni Kuin · Artist
Huni Kuin · Indigenous Leader & Member, Ainbu Dayá
Deep in the Brazilian Amazon, Huni Kuin women confront violence, child marriage, and the loss of ancestral traditions while fighting to protect their rights, their culture, and the forest they call home — revealing a story that echoes the lives and struggles of women around the world.
Deep in the Brazilian Amazon, Huni Kuin women invite us into their world. Through their voices, we witness a fight against violence, inequality and the destruction of their home — while discovering an ancient philosophy that reminds us we are not separate from nature. We are part of it.
Created in close collaboration with the Huni Kuin women, Daughters of the Earth invites audiences into a world rarely seen from within. Through intimate conversations, ceremonies, songs and everyday life, the women share not only the challenges they face — including domestic violence, child marriage, racism and inequality — but also a philosophy that has guided their people for generations.
For the Huni Kuin, these struggles are inseparable. Protecting women, protecting culture and protecting the forest are one and the same. Their voices reveal that the Amazon is far more than an ecosystem; it is a living teacher, a source of identity, memory and life itself.
These women are not defined by suffering. They are leaders, mothers, artists, healers and protectors. With extraordinary courage, they are transforming pain into action — fighting not only for themselves, but for their children, their communities, the forest, and future generations.
As their voices travel beyond the Amazon, Daughters of the Earth becomes more than a documentary. It is an invitation to meet the women behind the headlines, to experience a culture shaped by deep respect for life, and to see what is truly at stake. Their story begins in the heart of the forest, but it belongs to all of us — because the future of the Amazon, the future of women, and ultimately our shared future, are inseparably connected.
At a time when violence against women continues to rise, cultures are disappearing, and the Amazon faces unprecedented pressure, the voices of the Huni Kuin women offer something the world urgently needs.
Not only do they fight for equality and the future of their communities — they offer a perspective shaped by generations of resilience, respect and coexistence.
It is a perspective that suggests our future depends not only on what we protect, but on how we choose to live together.
Perhaps there has never been a more important time to listen.
“When we tell our own stories, we reveal who we truly are: women who carry the memory of our ancestors, the strength of the forest, and the responsibility of keeping our culture alive.”
I believe the story of the Huni Kuin women needs to be shared with the world because, for far too long, our voices were silenced or spoken for by others. Every story carries knowledge, memory, and resilience. Sharing our stories is not only about remembering the past — it is about showing that we are still here, creating, teaching, caring for the land, and shaping the future.
This is an important moment because Huni Kuin women are stepping into spaces that were denied to us for generations. Our voices are being heard, our stories are being told by us, and our knowledge is finally being recognized as an essential part of our identity and culture.
More than being seen, we want to be heard. When people truly listen to our stories, they discover that we have much to share about community, resilience, spirituality, and different ways of caring for the world. To know the Huni Kuin women is to recognize that there are many ways of creating knowledge, and all deserve to be valued.
I hope that by listening to our voices, people will come to see Indigenous peoples with greater respect and recognize that our knowledge has much to teach the world. Telling our own stories preserves our memory and affirms that we exist, we endure, and we will continue writing our own history.
More than telling who we once were, we tell who we are today and the future we are creating. In doing so, we keep the strength of Huni Kuin women alive and show the world that our culture continues to thrive through our voices.
The struggles of Huni Kuin women resonate with those of women everywhere because, across many cultures, women continue to fight for respect, recognition, equality, and the right to tell their own stories. Their journey is both deeply ancestral and profoundly universal — a struggle to protect identity, knowledge, territory, and ways of life.
This project recognizes women as the protagonists they have always been. More than documenting stories, it builds a bridge between different worlds. It strengthens memory, inspires future generations, and demonstrates that the voices of Huni Kuin women have the power to cross borders.
I hope this project inspires every Huni Kuin girl to believe in her own voice, to take her place in the world, and to understand that she too is a guardian of our history and a creator of our future — that she never has to choose between tradition and new possibilities, but can walk with both, honoring her ancestors while creating new paths for our people.
“When a woman makes her own decisions, the whole community grows stronger.”
“We want to live and have rights equal to men — and equal to all women in the world. With this project we want to show that women also have rights, also have a voice, also work, and also deserve all the things that other people have.”
“For many, many years we had no opportunity, and we suffered a lot in silence. And nowadays with this project we want to carry this voice to the world — that is our weapon.”
From the very beginning, this was never my story to tell. It was always theirs — seen through my lens, but guided by their voices.
For as long as I can remember, I have been deeply inspired by Indigenous peoples — not only by their connection to nature, but by a way of seeing the world that many of us seem to have forgotten. More than anything, I wanted to create a film that could make people feel what I feel.
Out of respect for the women and their culture, I wanted to tell the stories that are so often left untold. We were never here to romanticize their lives or speak on their behalf. We wanted to understand what mattered most to them — and let that shape every step of the journey.
When I met the Huni Kuin women, I quickly realized this wasn't a story about suffering. It was a story about strength. I met leaders, mothers, artists, healers and protectors. Women who continue to fight — not only for themselves, but for future generations. Their strength is quiet, yet incredibly powerful.
Together, we wanted to bring attention to the issues that matter most to them: domestic violence, child marriage, racism, inequality, the preservation of their culture, and the protection of the Amazon they call home. For the Huni Kuin women, these are not separate struggles — they are deeply connected.
As they shared their stories, I began to understand that the Amazon is far more than an ecosystem. It is a living teacher. A source of identity, memory, culture and life itself. Through the women, I didn't just discover the voice of the forest — I discovered that the forest has always been speaking. We had simply forgotten how to listen.
My hope is that this film carries those voices beyond the Amazon — from the heart of the forest to you. Not only to raise awareness of the challenges they face, but to invite audiences to experience a different way of seeing the world. One rooted in respect, reciprocity and the understanding that we are not separate from nature.
We are nature.
If this film leaves audiences with one lasting impression, I hope it is not only the beauty of the Amazon, but the extraordinary women who have protected it for generations — and whose voices deserve to be heard.
Co-Producer & Participant · Living Gaia e.V. & Ainbu Dayá
“What makes this project so special is that it creates space for Huni Kuin women to tell their own stories, in their own voices. Indigenous women's voices have too often been overlooked or filtered through stereotypes and a Western perspective.
Their experiences are deeply rooted in their culture and territory, yet their struggle to be heard, respected and free connects with women everywhere. By bringing women from different cultures into dialogue, the film becomes a call for solidarity — a reminder that protecting women, Indigenous knowledge and the Earth are all part of protecting our shared future.”
Director of Photography
“For me, every shot became a painting — an attempt to capture not only the beauty of the Amazon, but also its soul.
Our goal wasn't simply to document this extraordinary place, but to create an emotional connection with the women whose lives, wisdom and courage reveal what is truly at stake — and what we stand to lose if we fail to protect the world they call home.
It was one of the most profound cinematography experiences of my career — a journey that changed the way I see nature, storytelling, and the power of cinema.”
Director of Photography
“This is the project I am most proud of. As an outsider invited into the homes of the Huni Kuin women, I felt deeply honoured by the trust and openness with which they shared their stories.
Visually, we wanted to hold two truths at once: the extraordinary beauty of the forest and the strength of the women who protect it, while never turning away from the difficult realities they face. I hope the film carries their voices beyond the Amazon and inspires greater awareness, respect and action.”
Production Support & Participant
What they are doing to nature, we feel too. Because nature is alive with us.
Daughters of the Earth · The Women of the Huni Kuin
“For generations, our voices moved like whispers through the forest.
Now we rise — reclaiming what was always ours. Our rights.”
Stop destroying nature.
Stop killing us.
Made in collaboration with the women of the Huni Kuin.
Daughters of the Earth is a nonprofit documentary. All proceeds generated through the project return directly to the women of the villages — a continuation of the film's purpose, not a campaign attached to it.
With gratitude to everyone who helped bring this story to life.
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