Amazon

Coming to Grand Rapids this fall: Come navigate the wondrous Amazon region in the large format film, AMAZON. From mountain peaks to tropical forests, roam the river and the diverse land rich with animal and plant life. With more than 48,000 miles of navigable waterways, the Amazon river is vital to the survival of the rainforest ecosystem.

AMAZON is also a story of two medicine men from vastly different worlds sharing a common quest: the search for the medicinal qualities of native plants. We are introduced to Mamani, a Callawaya shaman. A tribal healer and doctor, Mamani follows tradition by searching for herbal medicines and practicing healing arts. Dr. Mark Plotkin, an American ethnobotanist, uses a combination of anthropology and botany and examines the way that people use plants as medicines. It is Dr. Plotkin's goal to find cures to diseases which western medicine has not yet conquered. "There may be a remedy for every ailment known to man right here," he remarks in the film. "Some argue that the treasure of the rainforest is it's plants, but the key to that treasure is the knowledge of the people."

Curriculum Resources

Teachers' Guide