Guardians of the Rainforest

The world’s rainforests are a sacred, irreplaceable gift. They are essential to all life on Earth. They contain more than 50% of the plant and animal species on the planet and provide hundreds of millions of people around the world with food, water, medicine, and livelihoods. Rainforests are also critical to combat multidimensional planetary crises such as climate change. They are among the only safe, proven, natural solutions that exist to capture and store carbon, and tropical deforestation is a key source of harmful greenhouse gas emissions that cause climate change. The protection, restoration and sustainable management of rainforests is thus essential to ensure the survival and well-being of all life on Earth.As the historical guardians of rainforests, Indigenous Peoples serve on the frontline of combating deforestation. However, they are among the first to face the direct consequences of climate change. In addition, the lack of recognition and protection for the rights of Indigenous Peoples makes them vulnerable to threats of intimidation, violence, and incursion into their lands.This is why it is crucial that we listen to the voices of Indigenous people, and particularly Indigenous women, who fight every day against these interconnected social and environmental threats. Guardians of the Rainforest is a documentary supported by multi-religious efforts to highlight the vital work of Indigenous women who are speaking out in defense of the rainforests in Brazil, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Borneo. In each country, Indigenous women and their allies share their stories, each in their unique ways, what the forest means to their very being, their fears in a reality of socio-ecological destruction, and their hopes for constructing something different.The documentary was directed by award-winning filmmakers Lia Beltrami and Marianna Beltrami, with the support of Religions for Peace, a lead implementing partner of the Interfaith Rainforest Initiative (IRI), a United Nations-led global programme.