Watching: Shomõtsi

Overview

Shomõtsi is a witty and engaging Ashaninka Indian, a father who has raised his children alone. A neighbor and friend of the filmmaker, he discusses the Ashaninka uses of anatto dye, cassava and of Coca. Unlike whites, he says, Indians respect coca's medicinal power. Shomõtsi and two other elders go to a neighboring city to collect their pensions. They have to set up camp overnight waiting for their money and grumble about the materialism of the Brazilian shopkeepers. After making a few modest purchases, Shomõtsi gladly heads back to the village.