The Story
Mission Statement
Raising awareness about the endangered traditions of the Peruvian jungle and honoring the plant doctors, the medicine men who dedicated their lives to the healing of their people. We will be sharing with the world the life changing experience of “Plant Dieta”. This is my main goal to create this documentary film.About The Project
It all started when I met Khyati at a meditation meeting. I was going through a difficult period in my life, I had both psychological and physical problems. I had three different problems in my large intestine. When I took the prescribed drugs the problems decreased and when I did not take them it came back. As soon as I told Khyati about my health situation, she advised me to work with the Papas of the Shipibo medicine tradition.
I am the co-founder and head of the production departmant of an on-demand video based personal development site from Turkey called bir.one . The company purchased the technical equipment which I used for the project. It was very expensive to take a cameraman to the Amazon jungle for a month, so I took a short camera course on Fuji XT4 and started the one-man team adventure in the jungle, relying on my education in filming I had many years ago.
Everything was a bit difficult in the begining, but then I got used to it and even managed to do some shootings during the jungle rain. And I had a big help from my partner Mahvand.
The Ucayali river (Amazon) and the deep jungle is truly a fascinating place. Exploring this environment with the local Shipibo people was exceptional and this can be witnessed in the images.
It was a great chance to document the knowledge passed on through the generations which is still applied in its most traditional form by the Papas. Interviewing people who are there for various problems and witnessing their journey of healing and transformation is one of the most important elements making this project so special.
It was a great chance to document the knowledge passed on through the generations which is still applied in its most traditional form by the Papas. Interviewing people who are there for various problems and witnessing their journey of healing and transformation is one of the most important elements making this project so special.
“The Medicine Men of the River People '' this documentary film witnesses the ancient wisdom of the three elder brothers (the Papas), who have been sharing their wisdom with people for decades. I’m planning on using all the interviews with the Papas, their students, their relatives, those who were on their Plant Dieta journeys in the jungle and the Shipibo cultural expert Professor Eli as a way of story telling. The story is about the healing force of the spirit of the jungle and one of the most mystical elements of this force is “Icaro”, the healing songs of the plant consciousness.
With your valuable support for post-production, I would like to complete this project and share this exceptional jungle wisdom.
With your help, I would like to make it accessible to all the people around the world.
With your valuable support for post-production, I would like to complete this project and share this exceptional jungle wisdom.
With your help, I would like to make it accessible to all the people around the world.
The Team
Ahmet Turgut Yazman
Director
Born (15.12.1970) and raised in Istanbul, Turkey. Having graduated faculty of Screenplay and Directing at MSU, I honed my skills as an assistant director for feature films and TV commercials. Then I formed my own company specializing in TV commercials. Since 2005 I only work in my own projects.
In 2007 I directed a TV show of 13 episodes about Anatolian mythology, religions and esoteric beliefs. Then I produced and directed “Gobeklitepe - The First Temple Of The World” in 2010, which has been picked up by a number of film festivals around the world.
Along the way, together with my partners, I founded a retreat on the Northwest coast of Turkey specializing in Yoga and Meditation; and became a co-founder of BiR (bir.one) which is an on-demand video based web site for deepening the personal work on mind, body and soul.
Mahvand Momtazian
Executive Producer
I was born in Iran and raised in Canada. I am currently living in the pristine mountain ranges of British Columbia .
I have studied fiber arts and run a successful business serving my community for the last 18 years . Alongside that I have worked with refugee groups and women shelters .
Through this film we hope that we can help preserve this healing tradition and its people for as long as possible. This ancient technology of using the master plants of the Amazon for healing is being shared in this documentary. We are acknowledging and giving thanks to the teachings of these master healers . These methods of healing have been used and passed down for time immemorial.
Melodi Sayip
Editor
Born in İzmir, in 1989 and raised in Istanbul, Turkey. After having a high degree in the university entrance exam in Turkey, she studied film & television as a full scholarship student at Kadir Has University Faculty of Communication, the University of Cologne, Germany and Montana State University, USA.
She started her professional life as an assistant art director in feature movies, then she worked as an assistant director in large TV commercial productions between 2009-2015. After a while, she wanted to be out of the commercial world and directed the short film called 'Derin the Faceless' in 2015 which has won the Amsterdam Lift Off Film Festival and deserved to be screened in Sydney Film Festival. Meanwhile she started to work as a film editor and edited feature films, documentaries and TV commercials. She founded her own film & video production company named Scope Visuals, She continues her life as a film editor and videographer for special projects.
Wishlist
Editing
This will pay for the editor, stock shots, coloring and digital corrections.
costs C$9,000
Extra Shooting
We need to have extra shootings with Papa Ben and Papa Jil in Peru, this is production cost of it.costs C$7,000
Sound Design
Sound design will bring to the film all layered sounds of the jungle and icarus.costs C$3,000
Transtlation and Subtitles
All interviews needs to be transcribed and translated in English and Spanish for the subtitles.costs C$2,000
Web Page
It is necessary to have a web page to promote and share all unused footage.
costs C$1,500
Festivals
We’re planning to apply more than 20 major festivals around the world.
costs C$1,500