Leonardo DiCaprio Closes Tribeca Film Festival with ‘Yanuni’ Premiere.
For one transformative hour, the noise of New York City gave way to something far more profound. The bustling clamor of horns and sirens faded, replaced by the hum of the rainforest — drops of water falling on dense foliage, the orchestral calls of thousands of species, and a single voice rising above it all. That voice belongs to Juma Xipaia, a fierce and fearless Indigenous leader from Brazil’s Amazon, whose extraordinary journey captivated the closing night of the 2025 Tribeca Film Festival.
Photography by Orchid Cay @theorchidclay
The documentary Yanuni, directed by acclaimed cinematographer Richard Ladkani and produced by Leonardo DiCaprio, isn’t just a film. It’s a visceral experience, a wake-up call, and a deeply personal portrait of resistance. Juma’s mission to protect her people and the rainforest — often called the lungs of the world — unfolds in powerful contrast: between the serenity of untouched nature and the violence of political confrontation.
Introduced through archival footage from 2009, a teenage Juma, painted in traditional markings and speaking with steely resolve, promises to defend her people at all costs. Six assassination attempts later, the adult Juma is still standing — now a chieftain, a mother, and a national figure — leading demonstrations in the capital of Brasilia. When riot police open fire on protesters in 2021, the camera doesn’t flinch. Ladkani places the viewer in the very heart of the danger, as if to say: This is what fighting for the Earth looks like.
What sets Yanuni apart is its cinematic intimacy with the land. The forest isn't just a backdrop — it’s alive, breathing through the lens. The camera soars with birds, rests among insects, and peers up through the sun-dappled canopy. It listens. It feels. This technique mirrors Juma’s own reverence for the natural world and reminds the audience that to love the Earth, we must first know it.
Interviews at the Tribeca Film Festival Red Carpet.
The narrative moves between urban political battles and the tranquil rhythms of Juma’s village life, often with her young son in tow. But even these quieter moments are pierced by the distant roar of extractive industries — the drilling, the mercury, the greed. As the Amazon is scarred in the name of gold, Juma and her community resist with dignity and courage. Her 2022 appointment to a newly created Indigenous leadership role under President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva offers a hopeful note, but it’s clear her story is just beginning.
Photography by Orchid Cay @theorchidclay
Choosing Yanuni as the final film of the 2025 Tribeca Film Festival was more than a programming decision — it was a statement. Out of 103 feature films from 114 filmmakers across 48 countries, including 86 world premieres, this documentary carried the weight of global urgency. It reminded audiences that storytelling can spark activism, and cinema, when used with purpose, can be a tool for justice.
As the curtains closed and the lights rose, the energy in the room lingered. Conversations spilled onto the New York sidewalks — not just about the film, but about the future. That’s the magic of Tribeca: walking between theaters and cafés, strangers transformed into engaged citizens by the stories they’ve shared.
See you next year. Until then, may we all listen a little more closely to the voices — human and otherwise — that ask us to protect what’s left.
Cast & Credits
Directed by Richard Ladkani
Director
Richard Ladkani
Producer
Juma Xipaia, Leonardo DiCaprio, Anita Ladkani, Richard Ladkani, Jennifer Davisson, Phillip Watson
Screenwriter
Richard Ladkani
Cinematographer
Richard Ladkani
Composer
H. Scott Salinas
Editor
Georg Michael Fischer, bfs
Executive Producer
Dax Dasilva, Joanna Natasegara, Laura Nix, Eric Terena, Martin Choroba, Philipp Schall
Second Camera
Fábio Nascimento
Original Title Song
Katú Mirim
Vocals
Djuena Tikuna
Cast
Juma Xipaia, Hugo Loss
