Keep the River on Your Right: A Modern Cannibal Tale

Apr 15 2000 R 1h 33m
Adventure, Documentary, Romance

In 1955, Tobias Schneebaum disappeared into the depths of the Peruvian Amazon. He had no guide, no map, and only the vaguest of instructions: Keep the river on your right. A year later Schneebaum emerged from the jungle…naked, covered in body paint, and a modern-day cannibal. Titled after Schneebaum’s 1969 cult classic memoir about his formative experiences living in the Amazon, Keep The River On Your Right is the extraordinary stranger-than-fiction story of Schneebaum’s return to the jungle, 45 years after his original visit, to reunite with the very tribesmen he loved and who gave him nightmares for nearly half a century. A deeply affecting and searing portrait, sibling filmmakers Laurie and David Shapiro capture a man in utter conflict, a fearless adventurer, and one of the most charming, enigmatic, and perplexing men ever captured on screen.

Plot

In 1955, while a Fulbright scholar, a Manhattan painter named Tobias Schneebaum spent seven months in the Amazon basin with the Harakambut. When he returned to the US, he could no longer paint. What happened? Nearly 45 years later, filmmakers want Tobias, now 78 and suffering from Parkinson's, to return to Peru. He refuses but allows that he will revisit the Asmat in New Guinea where he spent an idyllic time years before. That trip goes well, including a serendipitous meeting with Aipit, an aging native and once Tobias' friend and lover. Tobias then agrees to go to Peru to look for the people whom he joined on a murderous raiding party. The scars of war remain as does fear.

Written by

David Shapiro, Laurie Shapiro

Directed by

David Shapiro, Laurie Gwen Shapiro

Cast

Tobias Schneebaum, Norman Mailer, Michael Rockefeller

Crew

View crew

Production Countries

United States of America

Languages

English, Español

Awards

5 wins & 3 nominations

Trailers
Keep the River on Your Right: A Modern Cannibal Tale 2000 Trailer | Documentary
Scores
# of Votes
869
Average Rating
6.7 out of 10
Metascore
63
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