A Clearing in the Jungle

The Panare Indians live in the jungles of the northern Amazon. With homes only 300 miles from Caracas, Venezuela, they have seen cars and jet aircraft, yet their lives continue as if they were part of the Stone Age - as they resist outsiders and opt for the traditional way of life they have always known. This film focuses on their daily activities, such as preparing cassava, making blow darts, and hunting and gathering. As the Panare resent even the presence of the Granada TV crew, the film's producer captures their ethos when noting, "They grew tobacco, but just enough for their own needs. The government tried to persuade them to work longer hours to produce more, and have offered to pay them, but they are just not interested