On Thursday, January 8th, at the Emerson Center for the Arts & Culture, the Bozeman Doc Series continues with the the Montana premiere of the new documentary, Yanuni. The film screens at 7pm.
A vivid cinematic portrait, Yanuni tells the story of Juma Xipaia, an Indigenous chief from the Brazilian Amazon who rises from a remote village in the jungle to being appointed Brazil’s first Secretary of Indigenous Rights. A fearless defender of her people and the rainforest, Juma has survived multiple assassination attempts while confronting illegal gold miners, land-grabbers, and multinational corporations threatening her ancestral land. At her side is Hugo Loss, her husband and the head of Special Operations at IBAMA, Brazil’s environmental protection agency. As Juma fights on the political front, Hugo leads dangerous operations to dismantle illegal mining camps deep in the Amazon – often under armed threat.
As Juma navigates political power, growing threats, and impending motherhood, she is forced to confront the personal cost of resistance. At once epic and intimate, Yanuni is a powerful portrait of resilience, love, Indigenous sovereignty, and the fight to protect the world’s largest rainforest – for future generations and the planet we call home.
“A thrilling, romantic documentary about Brazil’s fight for Indigenous land… it captures a hopeful, revolutionary spirit, but it grounds these notions within the poetry of nature, through some of the most enrapturing, awe-inspiring landscape photography… It’s the kind of movie deserving of enormous canvases like full-frame Imax… but its ultimate goals are emotionally intimate.” – Variety
“Timely… an inspiring portrait of two remarkable environmental advocates and their urgent fight to defend indigenous land and sovereignty… The world may never free itself of corrupt leaders, or the careless opportunists who follow them like parasites. Which means that not only do we need more activists like Juma and Hugo, we need to know more about them, too. Yanuni is an ideal place to begin.” – The Wrap
Following on Sunday, January 25th, at the Emerson, the Doc Series presents its next screening with the Montana premiere of the new documentary, Iron Winter. It also screens at 7pm.
In Mongolia’s coldest valley, horses mean life. But in the Iron Winter, nothing can survive alone. For countless generations, the herders of the Tsakhir Valley have protected their horses from ferocious arctic storms by amassing a giant winter herd, nominating their bravest young men to protect it. The daring tradition served as a brutal coming of age ritual, until five years ago, when under increasing environmental pressure, it abruptly ended. Fearful about the loss of culture, elders soon vowed to revive it. And two young friends were handed the daunting responsibility to not only protect the valley’s herd – but to save its most sacred practice. For four months, the boys battle Mongolia’s deadliest winter on record, testing friendship and faith in a fight to keep 2000 horses alive, and preserve an ancient way of life.
Iron Winter has screened at festivals around the world, winning several awards including the Grand Prize at the recent Banff Mountain Film Festival.
“Draws us into the intimate world of two Mongolian herders braving relentless cold and prowling wolves in a stark, unforgiving landscape. Crafted with gentle precision and stunning imagery, the story grips viewers, urging reflection on climate change, migration, and the resilience of culture at civilization’s edge. An outstanding cinematic achievement.” – Banff Mountain Film Festival
“Director Kasimir Burgess spent months in extreme conditions, in temperatures of minus fifty degrees Celsius, in order to develop a meaningful collaboration with the young herders. He has crafted an epic, spectacular and chilling film about survival, which slowly transforms into a personal and poignant coming-of-age tale about friendship, sacrifice, and the struggle to maintain one’s identity amidst change.” – Visions du Réel
Doors open at 6:30pm. Tickets are available at the door or before the show online at www.bozemandocseries.org, where you can also buy Season Passes and 7-film punch cards, learn more about the series, and view trailers for upcoming films. The series will continue every other Thursday through April. •
