Ten Thousand Years Older
Encyclopedia
Ten Thousand Years Older is a 2002 documentary film
by Werner Herzog
about the Amondauas (Uru Eus) people of Brazil
. The ten minute film was produced and included as part of the Ten Minutes Older
project, released in the collection The Trumpet.
of the Amondauas' first contact
with modern Brazilians in 1981. Herzog states that they had previously only a "stone age existence", with no knowledge of metalworking
. Within several years, the majority of the tribe had been wiped out, most killed by chicken pox and the common cold
.
Herzog visits the tribe twenty years after their first contact. He discusses the elders' opinions on their new life, as well as the children's. The elders long for their previous lives as jungle warriors, while the children are embarrassed by their parents and want to live as modern Brazilians.
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
by Werner Herzog
Werner Herzog
Werner Herzog Stipetić , known as Werner Herzog, is a German film director, producer, screenwriter, actor, and opera director.He is often considered as one of the greatest figures of the New German Cinema, along with Rainer Werner Fassbinder, Margarethe von Trotta, Volker Schlöndorff, Werner...
about the Amondauas (Uru Eus) people of Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
. The ten minute film was produced and included as part of the Ten Minutes Older
Ten Minutes Older
Ten Minutes Older is a 2002 film project consisting of two compilation feature films titled The Trumpet and The Cello. The project was conceived by the producer Nicolas McClintock as a reflection on the theme of time at the turn of the Millennium. Fifteen celebrated film-makers were invited to...
project, released in the collection The Trumpet.
Synopsis
The film opens with stock footageStock footage
Stock footage, and similarly, archive footage, library pictures and file footage are film or video footage that may or may not be custom shot for use in a specific film or television program. Stock footage is of beneficial use to filmmakers as it is sometimes less expensive than shooting new...
of the Amondauas' first contact
First contact (anthropology)
First contact is a term describing the first meeting of two cultures previously unaware of one another. One notable example of first contact is that between the Spanish and the Arawak in 1492....
with modern Brazilians in 1981. Herzog states that they had previously only a "stone age existence", with no knowledge of metalworking
Metalworking
Metalworking is the process of working with metals to create individual parts, assemblies, or large scale structures. The term covers a wide range of work from large ships and bridges to precise engine parts and delicate jewelry. It therefore includes a correspondingly wide range of skills,...
. Within several years, the majority of the tribe had been wiped out, most killed by chicken pox and the common cold
Common cold
The common cold is a viral infectious disease of the upper respiratory system, caused primarily by rhinoviruses and coronaviruses. Common symptoms include a cough, sore throat, runny nose, and fever...
.
Herzog visits the tribe twenty years after their first contact. He discusses the elders' opinions on their new life, as well as the children's. The elders long for their previous lives as jungle warriors, while the children are embarrassed by their parents and want to live as modern Brazilians.