New Soundtrack Available for Oscar-Shortlisted Documentary ‘Yanuni’ Highlighting an Inspiring Indigenous Leader by Director Richard Ladkani and Producer Leonardo DiCaprio
EXCLUSIVE: The soundtrack for the Oscar-shortlisted documentary Yanuni, recorded across three continents, will be available on major streaming platforms such as Spotify and Apple Music starting Wednesday.
Composed by H. Scott Salinas and assisted by Argentinian composer Tomás Videla, the soundtrack features contributions from Indigenous leader and musician Eric Terena, who serves as an executive producer of the documentary. The “Yanuni Suite” video provides a preview of the music, showcasing Indigenous vocalist Djuena Tikuna alongside Terena and the Vienna Synchronstage Orchestra. The soundtrack also includes “No Front,” a piece written and performed by Indigenous rapper Katú Mirim, which addresses the illegal extraction of oil and gold from Indigenous territories in the Amazon.
Directed by Richard Ladkani, the film focuses on Juma Xipaia, the first woman chief of Brazil’s Indigenous Xipaya people in the Middle Xingu region. It also highlights the efforts of her husband, Hugo Loss, who combats illegal mining as part of his work with IBAMA, Brazil’s primary environmental agency, employing aggressive tactics such as disabling ships used for gold extraction.
Producers of the film include notable figures like Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Davisson, and Juma Xipaia. While Richard Ladkani invited Juma to co-direct, her role in the Brazilian government as Secretary for Articulation and Promotion of Indigenous Rights prevented her from taking that position.
“We worked to assemble a truly global team to compose the music for the film, and the result is something that not only reflects Juma and her lived experience, but is also a beautiful tribute to her culture and mission,” Ladkani commented. “Turning my lens to the Amazon was a continuation of my commitment to telling urgent, high-stakes stories about our planet’s survival, and I wanted the music to truly capture the urgency of what is happening. The Amazon is not only one of the most biodiverse regions on Earth—it is also one of the most threatened. We hope audiences feel inspired by the music to learn more about Juma’s work and her tireless dedication to serving her community.”
Composer H. Scott Salinas elaborated on the project’s reach, stating, “We recorded the music for Yanuni across continents, from Santa Monica to Vienna, São Paulo, and Manaus. This soundtrack is rooted in Indigenous perspectives and lived experience and is a true reflection of the themes of the film.”
Juma Xipaia has faced significant risks, surviving six assassination attempts—a testament to the dangerous environment for Indigenous land defenders in Brazil, where many activists, including leaders like Sarapo Kaapor and Ari Uru-Eu-Wau-Wau, have lost their lives in recent years.
“The forest is being destroyed at an alarming rate, silencing thousands of voices, erasing irreplaceable bodies of knowledge, and threatening our future,” Juma stated. “Yanuni amplifies Indigenous voices to the world—from the territory to the screen—through its storytelling, characters, music, and visual language. This soundtrack and film bring together the ancestral knowledge of people from across the Amazon, as we share our love, dreams, and hope through its spirit of resistance.”
The film premiered at the Tribeca Festival last year and has since garnered awards at various film festivals worldwide, including the SCAD Savannah Film Festival in Georgia. The documentary benefits from the expertise of cinematographer Richard Ladkani and editor Georg M. Fischer, with executive producers including Oscar nominees Joanna Natasegara and Laura Nix, along with Dax Dasilva, Martin Choroba, Philipp Schall, and Eric Terena.
Watch the video for “Yanuni Suite” above.
