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The Chiefs: The Last Defenders of the Amazon | Free Documentary
Learn more and take action at https://www.capacity.eco/thechiefs
The Amazon is nearing a critical tipping point, with just a few years left before irreversible collapse. Viewers are invited to turn inspiration into action by supporting Capacity’s Mission 1: The Shield, powering frontier technology, transparency tools, and on-the-ground support to protect at-risk territories in partnership with Indigenous guardians.
From the producers of Ocean with David Attenborough (Open Planet Studios) and Netflix’s Breaking Boundaries (See Through Stories), in collaboration with Capacity Foundation, THE CHIEFS is a powerful short documentary spotlighting Cacique Álvaro Tukano - one of the most respected Indigenous leaders of the Brazilian Amazon. His story embodies the urgency of a people fighting to protect their ancestral lands from accelerating illegal deforestation and exploitation.
Through intimate storytelling and vivid imagery, THE CHIEFS reveals the resilience, cultural strength, and unwavering leadership that define Indigenous guardianship. The film offers a rare window into life on the frontlines, where communities risk everything to defend the world’s most vital ecosystem, and where the consequences of inaction threaten all of us. More than a film, THE CHIEFS is an invitation to reconnect with a worldview rooted in reciprocity, balance, and protection of the Earth. It asks us to imagine a future guided not by extraction, but by harmony.
Features footage freely available on Open Planet / OpenPlanet.org
Credits
Featuring: Chief Álvaro Tukano
An Open Planet Studios and See Through Stories Production
In collaboration with Capacity Foundation
Director: Jonathan Clay
Producer: Ana Taboada
Executive Producers: Lawrence Leuschner, Jonnie Hughes
A Story By: Chief Álvaro Tukano, Jonathan Clay, Lawrence Leuschner
Edited By Ross Harrison
Field Producer & Head of Indigenous Relations: Flora Dutra
Drone Pilot & 1st AC: Iberê Périssé de Oliveira
Production Assistant (Capacity): Cassandra Yip
Cultural Co-Authors – Balaio Territory (alphabetical order): Bartolomeu Sampaio, Carlos Veloso, Hemildo Sampaio, Jacinta Sampaio, Laura Sampaio, Luvan Prado Sampaio, Rosimeri Sampaio, Thaynna Reis Assunta Prado, Tiago Sampaio, Bosco Veloso
Post Production: Films at 59
Music & Archive
Additional footage: Open Planet
Music supplied by Extreme Music
With Thanks To: Chief Raoni Metuktire, Chief Tapi Yawalapiti, Chief Dada Borari, Taynaah Reis, Special Indigenous Health District, Vilton Cláudio Martins, Joe Stevens
#FreeDocumentary #Documentary #amazonforest
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Published Dec 5, 2025
