Nominated for an Academy Award

At the Edge of Conquest focuses on the Waiapi Indians, a small, isolated Brazilian tribe that came in contact with the outside world in the late 1970s. Today they’re threatened by invading gold miners, the Brazilian government's recent proposal to reduce their land, and the state government’s plan to construct a highway directly through their territory. But their strategy for survival has been effective: defend their lands from invasion while their leaders navigate the tricky waters of Brazilian politics.

The film focuses on the charismatic leader, Chief Wai-Wai, as he travels from his remote village to Brazil’s capital, encountering for the first time airplanes, elevators, and skyscrapers. But the real barriers are the bureaucratic and cultural ones; he doesn't read or write, has never been at a meeting, and doesn't speak the language of these foreign people.

Unlike the traditional depictions of indigenous persons as pristine and removed from the outside world, At the Edge of Conquest reveals a society grappling with the oversight of a larger nation-state. Chief Wai-Wai is fighting the role of victim in a desperate effort to shape the destiny of his people.

"This provocative, valuable film, sympathetic to the natives, is technically excellent and pedagogically recommended for general audiences and students from seventh grade to college."
‒Science Books & Films

Latin American Studies Association, 1994
American Anthropological Association, 1993
Blue Ribbon, American Film & Video Festival, 1992
Bronze Apple, National Educational Film & Video Festival, 1992
U.S. Environmental Film Festival, 1992
Chicago Latino Film Festival, 1992