KimStim has announced the North American theatrical release of The Falling Sky (A Queda do Céu), the immersive and lyrical Brazilian documentary co-directed by acclaimed documentarian Eryk Rocha (Cinema Novo) and first-time director Gabriela Carneiro da Cunha.
Inspired by the 2010 book of the same name by Yanomami shaman Davi Kopenawa—who serves as both protagonist and narrator—and French anthropologist Bruce Albert, this breathtaking and collaborative film gives voice to the remote Yanomami and Watoriki communities as they issue a dire warning to the world: environmental catastrophe is imminent, driven by the greed of industrialized nations.
A standout at major international festivals—including Directors’ Fortnight at Cannes, DOC NYC, and Doclisboa—this powerful and award-winning portrait of Indigenous resilience will open with a one-week theatrical engagement at The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York City on Friday, March 7, followed by a theatrical release at Laemmle Theaters in Los Angeles beginning Friday, April 2, with additional cities to be announced.
In a film that is both visually stunning and politically urgent, The Falling Sky follows the Yanomami people as they gather to perform the reahu, a ritual honoring a recently deceased shaman. But an even greater threat looms over them—the relentless advance of miners destroying their land. Through sacred ceremonies and spiritual invocations, the shamans seek to push back against this invasion.
The film’s title—like the book—draws from an Indigenous prophecy warning of apocalypse if the Yanomami and their forest are lost. Rocha and Carneiro da Cunha craft an immersive account of Yanomami daily life and sacred traditions, capturing their profound relationship with time, nature, and the cosmos. Through expansive long shots and intimate moments, they reveal a people confronting ecological devastation with unwavering dignity, righteous anger, and an unshakable bond to their land—while also questioning the intentions of outsiders, including the filmmakers themselves.
