“Kendjam – Heart of the Amazon”

Producer: Todd Moen

“This T-Motion film highlights incredible Amazonian species like peacock bass, matrinchã, bicuda and hoplias aimara caught and landed on a fly rod. In an isolated location, more than 500 miles by plane from Manaus,
Brazil, the Kayapó Indigenous Community lives in the Kendjam Village on the banks of the Iriri River, a tributary of the “emerald clear” Xingu River Basin. Located inside the 20 million square miles of Amazon forest, the Menkragnoti Indigenous Territory is designated an Ecological Reserve and is the most isolated region in the Brazilian Amazon.

As a filmmaker, I’d been interested in the Kendjam project for years. When the opportunity came up I knew it would be good. Together with Untamed Angling, the Kayapó people are preserving both their cultural legacy and the legacy of their rainforest. In a time when logging, mining, and politicians have heavy influence on the future of Brazil’s jungles, I think it’s important to take a step closer and look at the people who live in those important contested areas. The Kayapó people, known as warriors and fierce guardians of their homeland, have made a name for themselves- their voice is being heard worldwide. With this film, I hope to honor their unique cooperation with the fly fishing industry. And as anglers, we all will likely find hope in their plight and their purpose in the Amazon.”