SECTIONS // OFFICIAL COMPETITION FEATURE LENGTH

When Two Worlds Collide

Jury's First Prize, consisting of 10,000 € and a trophy.
"We have chosen this film because, from different points of view, in an eloquent and poetic way, Heidi Brandenburg and Matthew Orzel reconstruct the struggle for the defense of the Amazon of the Peruvian indigenous leader Alberto Pizango and his community. They put their own bodies and their lives on risk into this unequal and unjust struggle, which not only concerns to them but to all of us in an increasingly urgent way. When Two World Collide is a film that captivates, agitates and inspires from begining to end."
Heidi Brandenburg, Mathew Orzel
100' / 2016 / Peru, United Kingdom
Spanish
English subtitled

Audience vote 8.58

Tense and wholly immersive, filmmakers Heidi Brandenburg and Matthew Orzel take you directly into the line of fire between two, powerful Peruvian leaders over the future of the country.  When president Alan Garcia attempts to extract oil and minerals from untouched Amazonian land with the hopes of elevating his country’s economic prosperity, he is met with fierce, violent opposition led by indigenous leader Alberto Pizango.  This nuanced, even handed film capture all angles of a conflict that quickly escalates from a heated war of words to one of deadly violence.

Main Festivals & Awards

Sundance Film Festival: Winner of the Special Jury Prize for Best Debut Feature

Director's Biography

Heidi Brandenburg
Heidi Brandenburg is a passionate observer of human nature and our environment. She co- founded Yachaywasi Films to explore social and environmental issues and challenge audiences to rethink preconceptions. Her first feature-length film, WHEN TWO WORLDS COLLIDE, expands on the signature character-driven style she developed in DON SILVA and SONNEMANN. Brandenburg graduated with honors from the University of Wales. Born in Paraguay and raised in Peru and Germany, she now lives in Washington, DC.

Mathew Orzel
Mathew Orzel is a documentary director and visual artist whose work focuses on the complexities of human relationships. He worked as a sound designer, editor, and director in short film before co-founding Yachaywasi Films with the goal of representing social-justice and environmental issues. Orzel graduated with honors in visual communication from the University of Wales. WHEN TWO WORLDS COLLIDE is his first feature-length documentary.