Portuguese director Inês Alves visited a village in the Amazon rainforest in 2018 in order to hold a film workshop with locals. She spent time with children who were taking care of themselves while all the adults were elsewhere, and she decided to include them in the film, and in this way her first film was completed. Screened at the 72nd Berlinale, Waters of Pastaza is a documentary about the children of the Achuar tribe living on the banks of the Pastaza River, a border area between Ecuador and Peru. They fearlessly wield jungle knives, catch fish bigger than themselves, and cook their own meals by fire. Though they do live with their parents, the camera only captures the children on their own. A sense of rhythm created by repeated gestures brings energy to the film, and the ecosystem of the rainforest, with its abundant insects and plant life, feels close enough to touch. Waters of Pastaza tries not to reduce everything to “lost innocence” and instead tries to respect and observe the way of life of the indigenous children. The scene in which the children, who have been in the spotlight, film the subject in front of them leaves an unexpected impression. [SON Sinae]