Secrets of the Tribe

"A behind-the-scenes look at a scientific community torn apart by infighting."

Jan 22 2010 TV-14 1h 50m
Documentary

What happens when western anthropologists descend on the Amazon and make one of the last unacculturated tribes in existence, the Yanomami, the most exhaustively filmed and studied tribe on the planet? Despite their "do no harm" creed and scientific aims, the small army of anthropologists that has studied the Yanomami since the 1960s has wreaked havoc among the tribe – and sparked a war within the anthropology community itself.

Plot

The field of anthropology goes under the magnifying glass in this fiery investigation of the seminal research on Yanomami Indians. In the 1960s and '70s, a steady stream of anthropologists filed into the Amazon Basin to observe this "virgin" society untouched by modern life. Thirty years later, the events surrounding this infiltration have become a scandalous tale of academic ethics and infighting.

Written by

N/A

Directed by

José Padilha

Cast

Robert Borofsky, Jesus Cardozo, Napoleon A. Chagnon

Crew

View crew

Production Countries

Brazil, United Kingdom, United States of America, Venezuela

Production Companies

ARTE France Cinéma, HBO Documentary Films, Stampede Films, YLE, SBS TV, Zazen Producciones, Impact Partners, Screen East, BBC, DR, Avenue B Productions

Languages

English

Awards

1 win & 1 nomination

Trailers
Secrets of the Tribe trailer
Scores
# of Votes
540
Average Rating
7.3 out of 10
Metascore
NA
Popularity
NA