A unique collaboration between two indigenous filmmakers and an anthropologist, Owners of the Water is a compelling documentary with groundbreaking ethnographic imagery. A central Brazilian Xavante, a Wayuu from Venezuela, and a US anthropologist explore an indigenous campaign to protect a river from devastating effects of uncontrolled Amazonian soy cultivation. Xavante and Wayuu are nationally and internationally prominent political actors and both face challenges over water. Owners highlights a civic protest showing strategic use of culture to bring attention to deforestation and excessive use of agritoxins in unregulated soy cultivation. The film features a diversity of Xavante opinions and evidence that non-indigenous members of the local population both support and oppose indigenous demands. The film showcases indigenous efforts to build networks among different native peoples and across nations.

Laura R. Graham is associate professor of anthropology at the University of Iowa current researching on politics of indigenous representation to broad publics and focusing on indigenous peoples of Iowland South America. Her work promotes engaged ethnography and participant advocacy. She is a member of the American Anthropological Association executive board, Committee for Human Rights. She also serves on the Board of Cultural Survival, a non profit organization that promotes indigenous human rights.

David Hernández Palmar is a photographer, videomaker, program organizer and journalist. He has produced documentaries for broadcast in Europe for Deutsche Welle and Canal Arte and has worked collaboratively on documentaries on the Wayuu such as Dalia se va de Jepira. He has curated indigenous film programs in Venezuela and abroad. As a photographer he participated and received awards in different exhibitions, and in 2005 he co-founded the South America Art Company which won an IDEAS award.

Caimi Waiassé, Xavante from Brazil, is a filmmaker focusing on Xavante knowledge and ways of living. He directed many films and documentaries having received different international awards such as Wapté Mnhono – Iniciacao do jovem Xavante (1999) and Darini: Xavante spiritual initiation (2005).