Land, Indigenous rights, and the Amazon — screening and discussion of The Territory
Event Description:
Join the Brazil Seminar for a special screening of the critically acclaimed documentary The Territory, followed by an Q&A with Lead Impact Producer Marianna Olinger.
The Territory provides an immersive, on-the-ground look at the tireless fight of the Indigenous Uru-eu-wau-wau people against encroaching deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon. Featuring breathtaking cinematography and rich sound design, the film offers unprecedented access to both the Uru-eu-wau-wau community and the illegal settlers clearing protected lands. Partially shot over three years by the Uru-eu-wau-wau themselves, the documentary captures their decision to set up a media team and risk their lives to expose the truth to the world. Recognized globally for its artistic and social impact, the film was shortlisted for the Academy Award and earned prestigious Peabody, Emmy, and Sundance awards.
Following the screening, Marianna Olinger will lead a conversation on how participatory media, Indigenous sovereignty, and strategic storytelling drive climate action. Drawing from her work leading the film’s global impact campaign, which received top honors, including the 2023 Jackson Wild Best Impact Campaign Award, Olinger will discuss how grassroots media production can empower frontline communities, influence international environmental policy, and serve as a tool for human rights advocacy in global decision-making spaces.
Speaker Bio: Marianna Olinger is an interdisciplinary artist, researcher, impact strategist and producer working at the intersection of culture and community to harness the power of art and storytelling for social change. She is a latina woman, Brazilian-born based in New York, with over 20 years of experience working with non-profit and cultural organizations. She was the lead impact producer for the Peabody, Sundance, Emmy winner, and Oscar-shortlisted, documentary The Territory (2022), and for the fiction feature How to Blow Up a Pipeline (2023). She serves at Doc Society impact strategist bench since 2024, and is the impact strategist for the documentaries Yanuni (2025), Daughters of the Forest (2026), Climate in Therapy (2024) the series Vs. Goliath (2025), and the Indigenous Impact Alliance (2025).
This event is co-sponsored by the Lemann Center for Brazilian Studies & the Institute of Latin American Studies (ILAS).
Registration is required for all individuals not affiliated with Columbia University.
