Holding Up The Sky: Teaching Guide

Educational lesson package based on the documentary Holding Up The Sky, directed by Pieter Van Eecke.

Holding Up The Sky takes you in the wake of Davi Kopenawa, the famous spokesperson for the Yanomami struggle from Brazil. This shaman wants to travel around the world to make people in the West aware of the fatal consequences their way of life will have: the collapse of heaven. The shamans of the Yanomami have been watching over the balance of all living things for thousands of years.

The curriculum delves deeper into the importance of the Amazon rainforest, the indigenous people and their history, Davi's struggle and the faltering ecosystem.

In addition to an informative section, the students analyze various film fragments and are motivated to adopt a critical attitude towards our own society. Assignments help the student to reflect and formulate their own opinion on the themes of the film (the consumer behavior of Westerners, our relationship with nature and the exploitation of raw materials that destroys biodiversity).
Finally, tools are provided to the student to take action themselves to protect the Yanomami and the rainforest.