Film of the Month: Ex-Shaman (Ex-Pajé)
Directed by the acclaimed filmmaker Luiz Bolognesi, Ex-Shaman (originally titled Ex-Pajé) is our featured Film of the Month. This striking and deeply moving documentary provides an intimate look into how cultural erasure impacts indigenous spiritual leadership.
The film received critical acclaim on the international circuit, earning a prestigious Special Mention of the Jury at the Glashütte Original Documentary Award during the Berlinale 2018.
The Encroachment of Modernity on the Paiter Surui
The documentary centers on the Paiter Surui, one of the many Amazonian indigenous tribes whose lives changed irrevocably after their first official contact with western society in 1969. For millennia, the tribe lived in complete isolation, perfectly attuned to the delicate ecosystems and ancient spiritual rhythms of the Amazonian rainforest.
However, over the last few decades, the rapid onslaught of modern technology and globalization has deeply reshaped their ancestral lands and daily habits.
Today, traditional forms of communal life are systematically replaced by the tools of the western world. Throughout the film, we witness members of the tribe navigating an environment saturated with smartphones, electricity, gas tanks, western firearms, and active Facebook accounts. This aggressive technological shift creates a stark, unsettling contrast against the backdrop of the deep jungle.
The Struggle of an Ex-Shaman Under Forced Faith
At the absolute heart of Ex-Shaman is a heartbreaking personal narrative. The documentary follows Perpera, a former master shaman (Pajé) who has been forced to abandon his sacred ancestral role due to the aggressive expansion of evangelical Christianity within his village.
Under the pressure of the new religious authority, Perpera is stripped of his status and forced to live as a regular member of the community, attending church services and discarding his traditional healing tools.
Despite this forced conversion, the core of his calling remains. As the people of his village face the inevitable physiological and mental health crises brought on by sudden westernization, Perpera quietly struggles to cure the suffering people around him. He operates in a painful spiritual limbo, caught between his duties to his community and the new faith imposed upon him.
Facing the Wrath of the Forest Spirits
This cultural transition does not come without a severe spiritual toll. According to ancient Amazonian cosmology, the balance between human communities and the natural world is maintained through active shamanic intervention.
Because Perpera has stopped performing his essential rituals, he faces what he perceives as the deep, vengeful wrath of the forest spirits.
The documentary beautifully portrays Perpera’s internal torment. He feels the spirits are deeply upset, weeping and angry because he has abandoned them in favor of the white man’s religion. The film masterfully captures his sleepless nights, his fears, and his profound sense of isolation, serving as a powerful metaphor for the cultural genocide faced by indigenous populations across South America.
