We Are Guardians

Brazil | 2023 | 85 min. | Edivan Guajajara (Arariboia), Chelsea Greene, Rob Grobman

Opens June 20, 2025

In the heart of the Brazilian Amazon, thousands of people are unlawfully invading protected lands, devastating centuries-old forests for resources and fast profits. Now as the health of the entire Amazon teeters at the edge, will Brazil and the world take notice? Directed by Indigenous activist Edivan Guajajara and filmmakers Chelsea Greene and Rob Grobman, We Are Guardians captures the human struggle as it plays out across this canvas.

Post-film Q&A with directors Edivan Guajajara, Chelsea Greene, and Rob Grobman moderated by SIFF Programmer Tracy Rector on June 20.

Tickets

Select showtime for pricing and tickets.

Friday, June 20, 2025

SIFF Film Center

7:00 PM

Saturday, June 21, 2025

SIFF Film Center

1:00 PM 4:00 PM 7:00 PM

Sunday, June 22, 2025

SIFF Film Center

1:00 PM 4:00 PM 7:00 PM

Indigenous forest guardian Marçal Guajajara and Indigenous leader Puyr Tembé stand at the frontlines of this fight, risking their lives to protect their ancestral lands from relentless invasions and deforestation. On the other side–Valdir, an illegal logger, is trapped in a desperate struggle to make ends meet and sees no other way than continuing to cut down the forest.

This is the powerful narrative at the heart of We Are Guardians — a story of hope and resilience amidst an unfolding crisis. Through a tapestry of voices, this award-winning documentary provides a raw and intimate look at the lives of those closest to the Amazon and peels back the layers of this critical situation to reveal a story that ultimately affects all of us. Directed by Edivan Guajajara, Chelsea Greene, and Rob Grobman, and produced by Academy Award winner Fisher Stevens with Leonardo DiCaprio serving as Executive Producer, the film is an exploration of the human spirit and our collective responsibility to protect the fragile balance of our world. Ultimately, it illuminates a path forward, where hope and unity can guide us toward a brighter future for the Amazon and our planet.

Learn More

Director: Edivan Guajajara (Arariboia), Chelsea Greene, Rob Grobman
Country: Brazil
Year: 2023
Running Time: 85 min.
Producer: Fisher Stevens, Maura Anderson, Chelsea Greene, Zak Kilberg
Awards: Raindance Film Festival 2023 (Best Documentary), Mostra São Paulo International Film Festival 2023 (Audience Award for Best Documentary & Creative Activism)

EDIVAN GUAJAJARA | DIRECTOR, PRODUCER, CINEMATOGRAPHER

Edivan Guajajara | Director, Producer, Cinematographer

Edivan Guajajara is from the Zutiwa village, located in Arariboia Indigenous Land (Maranhão, Brazil) and one of the creators of the communication network Mídia Índia. As an activist & filmmaker, he creates photography and documentaries centering indigenous peoples’ perspectives, showcasing their struggle of land protection and defense of Mother Earth. As a designer and video editor, he uses his gift to create art pieces that give visibility to the ongoing fight of the Brazilian indigenous peoples, a people who have resisted for 521 years.

“Film has given us the opportunity to show our culture and our resistance. Today we have our own way of communicating and spreading our works so that people can know our true history and strengthen our struggle. My greatest inspiration as an indigenous is showing our reality and telling that we are also capable of being what we want to be, and showing to the world how much we indigenous peoples are important to the survival of our planet."

CHELSEA GREENE | DIRECTOR, PRODUCER, CINEMATOGRAPHER, EDITOR

Chelsea Greene | Director, Producer, Cinematographer, Editor

Chelsea Greene is a documentary filmmaker, impact producer, and multidisciplinary visual artist whose work explores the intersection of environmental justice, Indigenous leadership, and wildlife conservation. Raised in the forests of Vermont, Chelsea has spent over 15 years traveling the globe working on documentaries, television series, and short-form content, as well as creating photography, graphic design, and visual art that amplifies stories from the frontlines of ecological and cultural resilience.

Her cinematography and editing work has been featured on platforms including Netflix, PBS, NBC, and Nat Geo WILD, bringing global attention to urgent issues. Early in her career, she contributed to the award-winning documentary Borneo’s Vanishing Tribes, which spotlighted the Dayak people’s resistance to palm oil-driven deforestation in Southeast Asia.

Chelsea made her feature directorial debut with We Are Guardians, a film that follows Indigenous forest defenders in the Brazilian Amazon. The project represents a milestone in her career—blending immersive storytelling with a bold impact campaign focused on forest protection, Indigenous rights, and climate action.

In recent years, Chelsea has stepped into the role of impact producer, driven by a desire to crack the code of how films can not only inform but inspire and mobilize real-world change. Whether behind the camera, in the editing suite, or building campaigns, her work is rooted in a deep belief in the power of storytelling to heal, connect, and transform.

ROB GROBMAN | DIRECTOR, EXECUTIVE PRODUCER, CINEMATOGRAPHER, EDITOR

Rob Grobman | Director, Executive Producer, Cinematographer, Editor

Rob grew up in New Hampshire, in the foothills of the White Mountains. His work as a filmmaker has mostly focused on the environment and the inspiring people who've dedicated their lives to its protection. In 2011 he graduated Johns Hopkins University with a BA in Film and Media Studies. While in Baltimore, he worked as an editor with filmmaker and auteur Michael H. Shamberg on his autobiographical documentary series, P.S. BEIRUT about the Lebanese Civil War. From 2016 to 2019 he was a core leader and driving creative force at Heartisan Films. In 2018, he made his directorial debut with the documentary, Gorilla Girl. Focused on a female pioneer in the field of wildlife rehabilitation and primate sign language research, the film was incredibly well received and won numerous awards including Award of Excellence for a Documentary Feature from Impact Docs and Outstanding Achievement in Documentary from IndieX Festival.

In 2019, Rob began work on We Are Guardians, a feature length documentary about the Indigenous forest guardians of the Brazilian Amazon and their fight to keep the forest standing. He shot, edited, and directed the film with Edivan Guajajara and Chelsea Greene. Produced by Academy Award winning filmmaker Fisher Stevens, Zak Kilberg, and Maura Anderson, We Are Guardians made its world premiere at Hot Docs International in May of 2023 and has since garnered numerous awards in its prolific festival run including 'Best Documentary' at Raindance Film Festival, the 'Audience Award' at São Paulo International Film Festival, and the 'Green Film Award' at Cinema for Peace in Berlin, Germany. Rob now lives in the Siskiyou Mountains of Southern Oregon.