VOICES FOR MADIDI, 24min., Canada
Directed by Jonathan Derksen
Bolivia’s Madidi National Park is considered to be the most biodiverse place on planet earth. The Uchupiamonas people, who call the park home, are in a constant battle against forces eager to exploit the protected area for its hydroelectric potential, hardwoods and gold. In this documentary, we hear from of the eco-warriors at the front lines.

Get to know the filmmaker:

What motivated you to make this film?

The Madidi area of the Bolivian Amazon is perhaps the most biodiverse place on earth. I first visited the area in 1982 as a teenager, when a group of friends and I ventured down the Beni River in a motorized dugout canoe during the rainy season, only to almost meet our fate in deadly rapids, whirl pools and a maze of giant tree snags. Fortunately, we were taken in by some Moseten hunters, who fed us and gave us shelter until the rains abated and we could carry on.

I returned to the area in the nineties as a photojournalist on a national parks beat, then, in 2007 as an expedition leader. In 2008, I filmed with National Geographic on Bolivia's infamous "Death Road" traversing the Andes to the Amazon. In 2016 and 2017, I worked on a coffee table book "Madidi: an uncertain future" with photographer Sergio Ballivian.

On each expedition, I interacted with the extraordinary Uchupiamonas people, who taught me the ways of the jungle and the profound importance of protecting such unparalleled biodiversity. They also educated me about the various existential threats to the region and its indigenous people. This lit a fire under me.

In 2023, I returned with a film crew in hopes of bringing their story to the rest of the world, culminating in "Voices for Madidi", a bilingual expression of the eco-warriors serving the front lives of a little-publicized battle.

2. From the idea to the finished product, how long did it take for you to make this film?

The idea germinated in 2017 while working on the Madidi coffee table book. My research and interviews with the movers and shakers in the region made it clear there was an important story to be told, and it needed to be told NOW.

Of course, NOW is relative in the documentary-making world. After completing the documentary "Rescue in the Andes" about Senda Verde Animal Refuge, and "Return to Old Crow" about a young Vuntut Gwitch'in woman returning to her native village in the Yukon's far north, I was finally freed up to head south to Bolivia. In 2023, our three-person crew spent a month in the Madidi jungles getting our story.

Editing took from May, 2023 to August, 2024 (with various interruptions!). A total of seven years from inception to completion!

3. How would you describe your film in two words?

Indigenous voices

4. What was the biggest obstacle you faced in completing this film?

Creating a compelling narrative from a monumental amount of footage.

5. What were your initial reactions when watching the audience talking about your film in the feedback video?

While we have done some private screenings with feedback, hearing from people who had gone into the doc cold was profoundly meaningful, especially the second reviewer in our audience feedback reel. If we can inspire even a handful of people to pick up the torch to help, or to visit the area, then we have accomplished what we set out to do. But first and foremost, we wanted viewers to respond/react to the film in context of their own lives, which they did, and that was, perhaps, the most valuable part about the feedback.

6. When did you realize that you wanted to make films?

In 1996, while teaching at Woodstock international School in the Indian Himalayas, a film student and I completed a joint film project called "Highroad to India" about Tibetan children fleeing oppressive Chinese rule in Tibet and crossing the high Himalaya to be near His Holiness the Dalai Lama in India. Completing that film (and eventually giving a copy to the Dalai Lama), was a life-changing experience that paved both of our paths to filmmaking.

7. What film have you seen the most in your life?

Movie: Shawshank Redemption

Documentary: Restrepo

8. What other elements of the festival experience can we and other festivals implement to satisfy you and help you further your filmmaking career?

It's worthwhile to consider the array of films chosen as finalists in a given category. I also think watching the audience feedback reels from other docs/films is a useful undertaking.

9. You submitted to the festival via FilmFreeway. How has your experiences been working on the festival platform site?

I've been very impressed with straight forward nature of the site and the quality of the film festivals using the FilmFreeway platform. I think it's important for filmmakers to know that, while the 'Gold' standard festivals are preferable (it usually means more submissions), not to overlook those up-and-coming festivals or those with a smaller budget or venue. I really like the spectrum of festivals. Some, like Wildsound Environmental & Screenplay FF are effectively geared toward providing feedback and helping a filmmaker build a press kit and marketing material.

10. What is your favorite meal?

My favourite meal is assorted Japanese dishes.

11. What is next for you? A new film?

I'm currently working on a novel, and starting a film about the importance of connecting to the land and protecting nature in ones own community. I'm also considering a documentary about rewilding.