National Geographic Documentary Films has acquired the rights to this docu The TerritoryLow seven-figures. It’s their second deal, following a big one for Love is the Fire of Love. Nat Geo has announced The TerritoryDeal this morning
The Territory, which was selected to screen in the World Cinema Documentary competition. The film focuses upon the unwavering fight of the Indigenous Uru–eu–wau-wau community against the encroaching destruction of their land by illegal loggers as well as an association of non-native Brazilian farmers. The film takes audiences into the Uru–eu–wau-wau community, while also giving unprecedented access the other side to the conflict. Loggers illegally clear land and a network ill-equipped farmers rallies together in an attempt to colonize the rainforest. This includes footage shot by the Uru-eu-wau-wau people, the film provides verité-style footage, captured over three years, as the activists risk their lives to set up their own news media team in the hopes of exposing the truth.
Pic marks the debut from director Alex Pritz and has been co-produced by the Indigenous Uru-eu-wau-wau community, with activist Txai Suruí an active executive producer. The project is produced by The Cave’s Sigrid Dyekjaer, Darren Aronofsky’s Protozoa Pictures, and Passion Pictures (The Rescue) along with Will N. Miller, Lizzie Gillett and Gabriel Uchida. Pic got made through Documist, Associação Jupaú do Povo Uru-eu-wau-wau, Real Lava, Passion Pictures and Protozoa Pictures in association with TIME Studios and XTR with backing from Luminate and Doc Society.
“The Territory is an urgent story of courage and resilience, beautifully told by first-time feature director Alex Pritz. We are honored to bring the story of the Uru-eu-wau-wau people to the world and help further the conversation and raise awareness around the endangered Amazon rainforest and its indigenous people,”Carolyn Bernstein is the executive vice president for Global Scripted Content and Documentary Films at National Geographic. “We are equally excited to be working with our longtime friend Sigrid Dyekjær whose talent for shepherding stories of impact and advocacy is unprecedented and with our frequent collaborator Darren Aronofsky, a visionary storyteller with an unmatched eye for breakthrough talent.”
The deal was mediated by the National Geographic Documentary Films team. National Geographic Documentary Films will be releasing the film theatrically later in the year, before it heads to its streaming services.