The Enemy God - The Movie

Year-End Sale Pricing on DVDs

Tom Khazoyan — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 23:27:31 +0000

The Enemy God DVD

Looking for a unique gift for a movie lover, culture lover, fan of all things indigenous; we’ve got a perfect gift – The Enemy God film on DVD!

Click on the links above or THIS LINK to learn more and order this special film.

We also offer further discounts for bundles when you purchase a DVD and one of our books. They make a perfect combination of perspectives on Yanomamö life!

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Film Screening in Toronto

Tom Khazoyan — Fri, 11 Feb 2011 19:21:17 +0000

We’re please to announce a special screening of The Enemy God in Toronto on February 19th. That’s next Saturday night. It is hosted by MissionFest Toronto and will be held at Catch The Fire.

The Enemy God tells the amazing true story of a Yanomamö shaman and the spiritual battle for freedom for his people. If you are in the Toronto area, you won’t want to miss this special event. Here’s what people have said about the film:

“It will draw the praise of those who let the story seep into their hearts. If you have a chance, see it. You’ll be moved.” Cher Smith – TheCultureBeat.com

“One of the Most Unique and Engaging Movies Ever Made. This is an intense film. It is sometimes graphic; sometimes heart wrenching, but always engaging… expect to experience a perspective you’ve never felt before.” – Doug Lucas – Team Expansion

More information about the screening can be found at: MissionFest Toronto – The Enemy God.

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New Years News about The Enemy God film

Tom Khazoyan — Tue, 04 Jan 2011 21:08:09 +0000

2011 is here and it’s shaping up to be a good one. Here are a few highlights:

The film will be released on DVD in Australia and New Zealand. The distributor, Third Millennium Entertainment, has it slated for mid-June 2011.

There will be a special screening of the film on Feb 19th in Toronto, Canada. You can find details on the MissionFest Toronto web site: The Enemy God screening page.

The Tri-Lakes Center for the Arts in Colorado has asked to schedule a screening of the film this spring. As soon as we have locked dates (mid-March or April) we’ll post it.

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Belize Benefit Screening

Tom Khazoyan — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 22:27:53 +0000

Folks in Belize are rightly proud of the work they did on our film, The Enemy God. We’re pleased that they’ve selected the film as part of this special benefit festival. This is from a note we received this week from the festival Director:

“THE RADISSON FORT GEORGE HOTEL, THE BELIZE INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL and the NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF CULTURE AND HISTORY are collaborating to present a selection of films made in Belize – during the month of September, 2010 – which as you know is a month of national pride for us. All entrance proceeds from this screening will go to the Stella Marris School of Special Education in Belize City.

Your film THE ENEMY GOD has been pre-selected to be a part of this special screening.”

The work our K’ekchi’ Maya actors and our many other Belizean crew members did on the film is a testimony to their creativity and dedication. As indigenous people, constantly looked down-upon by others, our friends told us that the film proves that the K’ekchi’ are capable of great things. Now, once again, the people of Belize will have a chance to see the fruit of our labors together.

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Chicago Screening This Coming Week

Tom Khazoyan — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 21:42:52 +0000

If you are in the Chicago area, be sure to set aside this coming Tuesday night for a special screening of The Enemy God.

Co-Producer, Matt Castagna, will be on-hand to introduce the film and do a Q&A session after the screening at Moody Bible Institute. The screenings begins with Matt’s introduction at 6:30PM.

Click our “EVENTS” page for more details.

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Upcoming Film Screenings – March and April

Tom Khazoyan — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 20:54:57 +0000

After a little lull in screenings, we’re happy to announce that we’re working a new series for the spring. These are all special screenings that are hosted by folks who have seen the film and have said, “We want to help spread the word!” We will post details and reminders of these as they get closer, but here are a few upcoming events where you can see Yai Wanonabälewä: The Enemy God with a group and also participate in some Q&A with filmmakers in each location.

Check out our EVENTS page for updated information.

March 27, 2010 – Beemsville, Ontario, Canada
Time:
6:30-9:30 PM
Location:
Calvary Gospel Church
4129 Hixon Street
Beemsville, ON

Christopher Bessette, the Writer and Director of the film will be at this screening to answer questions. This is a rare opportunity! There is a Facebook event for this screening where you can RSVP and contact the hosts. Click Here.

April 16, 2010 – Los Angeles/Orange County, California – location TBD

April 17, 2010 – Orange, California

Time:
7:00-9:00 PM
Location:
North Orange Christian Church
1001 E. Lincoln Ave
Orange, CA 92869

Tom Khazoyan, Producer/Editor of the film, will be at this screening to answer questions about the film.

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“Avatar is real” say tribal people

Tom Khazoyan — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 17:00:48 +0000

Yanomamö Elder

While James Cameron’s film has been breaking box-office records and generating a lot of hype, it has been interesting to hear reports of how indigenous audiences have received the film. We’ve heard Native American friends say that it made them feel good that the ‘Indians finally won’ and have heard reports of screenings in South America for indigenous groups meeting with resounding approval. Here’s a recent article that repeats some of these reports.

One thing that encourages us about this article is that it comes from a Catholic news agency. It reflects our belief that respect for the rainforest and its people is compatible with Christian teachings.

From Independent Catholic News

We don’t believe our Yanomamö friends have seen the film yet – no bootleg copies have made it upriver to Coshilowäteli. However, we think they will resonate with Avatar’s message of respect for the natural world. You can see the (slightly lower budget but more realistic) story of their interactions with the spirit and natural world in their own film, Yai Wanonabälewä: The Enemy God.

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Sundance Update – reviews of “Secrets of the Tribe”

Tom Khazoyan — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 17:42:15 +0000

Here are two interesting reviews of the film, “Secrets of the Tribe”, which recently premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. The story of how anthropologists engaged the Yanomamö over many decades makes for pretty good drama in a documentary. There are scandals (real and imagined) of every sort and the anthropology community continues to debate about the good and bad of the research and contact that has been made.

If you talk with the Yanomamö today, they are eager to add their voice to the mix. They have resented being treated like animals in a zoo and want their voice to be heard and their own feelings about their encounters with outside cultures to be respected. I believe that anthropologists like Dr. Napoleon Chagnon have done much to help us understand indigenous cultures like the Yanomamö. And, I believe that anthropology as a discipline has grown more sensitive to mistakes of the past. However, the average Yanomamö in the rainforest today still feels extremely isolated and without a voice in the debates.

Here are two links to reviews of José Padilha’s new documentary. We hope that its high profile at Sundance will encourage audiences to learn more and to listen carefully.

The Hollywood Reporter Film Review – Secrets of the Tribe

HitFix review of “Secrets of the Tribe”

Of course, our Yanomamö friends really want audiences to hear their story, as told in our film. You can order a DVD HERE.

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Book Gives Inside Look at Yanomamö – DVD and Book Bundles Available

Tom Khazoyan — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 01:24:50 +0000

A perfect companion to The Enemy God, Mark Ritchie’s book, Spirit of the Rainforest, tells the story of the Yanomamö through the eyes of Jungleman, a powerful Yanomamö shaman. Pick this book up, you won’t put it down!

Here’s what noted anthropologist, Dr. Neil Whitehead had to say about the book:

Spirit of the Rainforest book

“… there is an uncomfortable irony here for us all; that those who are studied might offer their own self-understanding in place of our ethnographies … a most interesting document … for the vivid window it opens on aspects of Yanomamö shamanism.” Dr. Neil Whitehead, American Anthropologist journal

We have Spirit of the Rainforest available alongside the DVD of The Enemy God. If you purchase them together, you can save an additional 27% beyond our normal discount price.

Click HERE to go directly to our web store. Then, select the bundle when you add it to your cart.

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Yanomami Film at Sundance

Tom Khazoyan — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 18:48:16 +0000

We recently learned about the world premiere screening of a feature-length documentary called Secrets of the Tribe, directed by José Padilha, set to screen at the Sundance Film Festival this month. (link here: Secrets Of The Tribe at Sundance)

The film takes another look at some of the controversies surrounding anthropological research among the Yanomami. From the description, Padilha makes an effort to dig deeper into the issues by bringing the various parties to the table. This includes not just anthropologists, but also the Yanomami themselves. We are looking forward to seeing it when it’s in wider release. Even more, we hope to be able to get a copy to our Yanomamö partners in Venezuela so they can hear the points-of-view as well.

Here’s a description from the Sundance site:

The field of anthropology goes under the magnifying glass in this fiery investigation of the seminal research on Yanomami Indians. In the 1960s and ’70s, a steady stream of anthropologists filed into the Amazon Basin to observe this “virgin” society untouched by modern life. Thirty years later, the events surrounding this infiltration have become a scandalous tale of academic ethics and infighting.

The origins of violence and war and the accuracy of data gathering are hotly debated among the scholarly clan. Soon these disputes take on Heart of Darkness overtones as they descend into shadowy allegations of sexual and medical violation.

Director José Padilha brilliantly employs two provocative strategies to raise unsettling questions about the boundaries of cultural encounters. He allows professors accused of heinous activities to defend themselves, and the Yanomami to represent their side of the story. As this riveting excavation deconstructs anthropology’s colonial legacy, it challenges our society’s myths of objectivity and the very notion of “the other.”

“The field of anthropology goes under the magnifying glass in this fiery investigation of the seminal research on Yanomami Indians. In the 1960s and ’70s, a steady stream of anthropologists filed into the Amazon Basin to observe this “virgin” society untouched by modern life. Thirty years later, the events surrounding this infiltration have become a scandalous tale of academic ethics and infighting.

I’ll end with a shameless plug for The Enemy God. If Padilha’s strategy of letting the Yanomami represent their side of the story is so ‘brilliant’, how much more provocative and challenging is the Yanomamö’s own story, told entirely in their words, as told in The Enemy God?

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