Goodbye, Captain relates the story of Brazil's indigenous Gavião people and their efforts to maintain their language, livelihood, and identity throughout a half-century of upheavals. At the center of this historical narrative is "Captain" Krôhôkrenhum Jopaipairé, leader of the Gavião community in the south of Pará. Krôhôkrenhum shares the history of his people and details his commitment to restoring the community’s cultural traditions.
Krôhôkrenhum’s tells filmmaker Vincent Carelli the history of his community, beginning with the wars of the “brave Indian” and the terrible devastation that began with contact with the kupen or white man, who brought with them new diseases and left few survivors scattered around the region. Further encroachment of the kupen resulted in the loss of Gavião lands and resources, including the nut trees that offered them economic independence, the imposition of slave labor, and a generation raised outside of their culture and language.
As the story continues, strategic alliances with other Gavião groups enable Krôhôkrenhum and his people to rebel against harmful government policies and ultimately gain control of their plantation and obtain financial autonomy. Contact with other Gavião groups also inspires Krôhôkrenhum and the community to revitalize the Gavião language and ceremonies.
Woven throughout this history is the relationship between the captain and Vincent Carelli, who began filming the community using a VHS camera in 1987. The film opens with Carelli’s return of an audio-visual archive to the Gavião community and the promise of fulfilling Krôhôkrenhum’s wish to maintain the memory of his people.
Selected Screenings & Awards
Prix Mondes en Regards, Jean Rouch International Ethnographic Film Festival, France, 2023
Sheffield International Documentary Festival, United Kingdom, 2022
Doclisboa International Film Festival, Portugal, 2022
IDFA (International Documentary Film Festival), Amsterdam, 2022
It’s All True - International Documentary Festival, Brazil, 2022