Leo DiCaprio film to make Scottish debut at Montrose cinema

The Herald Scotland

3 days ago

It will serve as the closing film of the LandxSea festival, which will be held at the 'state of the art' community run cinema in Montrose between the 12th and 14th of September.
Twenty-two independent films from Scotland and across the world will also be screened at the festival, which has been curated by director Rachel Caplan and You've Been Trumped documentarian Anthony Baxter.
A range of workshops are also held during the festival. (Image: Supplied) Caplan said: "This year's theme, Creative Ground, celebrates the vital role artists play in helping us navigate a changing climate. From Indigenous sci-fi to luminous orchestral film, the programme reflects our belief that imagination is essential for transformation.'
BAFTA Scotland award-winner Baxter, who co-founded the festival in 2023, added: "It's incredible to see LandxSea grow into a national platform for environmental cinema, based right here in Montrose. We're proud to bring stories that inspire change to audiences of all ages."
Yanuni tells the story of Juma Xipaia, an indigenous Brazilian activist who has survived six assasination attempts from illegal miners and loggers.
Xipaia, who became the first female chief in her region at the age of 24, told Yale Environment 360: 'These miners and loggers are heavily armed. They have no problem with threatening us. They want confrontation. And we are afraid.'
The activist, who attended COP26 in Glasgow three years ago, added: 'There were 40 leaders from Brazil and the majority were women. The only reason there were so many of us was because there was a very large mobilization that started with us, that came from our organizations.
'It's not because we were invited or brought to this climate discussion, so much so that during the discussion itself, during the decision-making, there was no participation of any traditional peoples.
'Others decided. They decided about our lives. They talked about our forests. They made decisions about our futures without our direct participation.'
'I believe there needs to be greater involvement of the people,' she said. 'It needs to be democratized.'
Actor Leonardo DiCaprio is one of the film's producers.Other films to be screened at the festival include Lost For Words, which has been described as 'a poetic journey across Britain's landscapes and seasons,' as well as Future Council, which follows the experiences of eight children across the world and their fight to hold business leaders accountable.
Lowland Kids, a film about America's 'first climate refugees' will make its Scottish premiere, as well as North Sea, Nature Untamed, which depicts the North Sea from the perspective of underwater cameraman Peter van Rodijnen.
A family-friendly soundtrack workshop, live music, and a 'bracing' North Sea swim will also be held during the three day event.
The 50-year-old DiCaprio has long spoken out on environmental issues, dating back to 1998, when he founded a non-profit aimed at supporting climate initiatives.
In June, the Academy Award winning actor welcomed the premiere of Yanuni, writing on Instagram: 'The Amazon may feel far away, but its fate is tied to ours. I'm proud to help bring Juma Xiapaia's story to life in Yanuni to showcase her work in protecting forests, culture and community in the Brazilian Amazon.
'These forests play a critical role in regulating the global climate through their vast biodiversity and are upheld by the Indigenous communities who have inhabited these lands for centuries.
'Their destruction by extractive industries isn't just an environmental issue, it's a human one.'
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DiCaprio added: 'Our goal is for Yanuni to build powerful momentum behind Juma's mission—affirming the sovereignty of Indigenous Peoples and recognizing the Brazilian rainforest, along with the megadiverse forests of Indonesia and the Democratic Republic of Congo, as vital to the survival of our planet.
'In November when world leaders will gather for COP30 in the Amazon with an opportunity to pass two critical initiatives – establishing the Tropical Forests Forever Fund and urging countries to join the Intergovernmental Land Tenure Commitment – we hope they will honor Juma's indelible words: 'The forest is our mother; she feeds us even when we forget to thank her.''
Tickets to all screenings of LandxSea go on sale on Thursday at 12 pm at http://landxsea.org/.