We are the Indians

Marcelo loves the blockbuster film The Mission as his uncle, known as ‘Burnt Arse’ appears in it. When he watches it with his children, he points out that this is how his ancestors used to live – “this is their past”. The irony is typical for life amongst Argentina’s Guarani Indians who are struggling to hold onto their traditions whilst being pulled into the ‘White World’. Yet the issues faced by the Guarani in the film – such as identity, friendship, adultery and death to trying to understand 9/11, are the same issues people face all over the world. It is how the Guarani deal with these universal questions and overcome them that makes for a unique film.

Philip Cox

Phil produced and directed his first films in Scotland whilst based at the Edinburgh Film and Video Centre, also completing an honours degree in languages and literature at the University of Edinburgh. With a primary interest in documentary he created Native Voice Films with his brother in 1998. For the last 6 years he has worked both as a director and producer of broadcast and Indy documentaries as well as an award winning freelance news cameraman.

Phil also teaches the Brunel University MA in Documentary and the MA in Visual Anthropology at Manchester University for DFG (www.dfglondon.com). He is fluent in Spanish and has lived and worked for a considerable period in Latin America. He has recently been filming at length in Iraq and Sudan. In 2004 he was the first filmmaker to film the Darfur conflict traveling with the SLA rebels and was awarded the 2004 Rory Peck Award for this work.

Recent Filmography:
- Darfur's Dirty War - SBS Dateline (2005)
- Voices from Iraq - Election Special CNN / Fr2 (2005)
- Darfur Special Report Channel 4 (2004)
- Sudan's Unknown War Channel 4 (2003)
- Return to Basra Channel 4 (2003)
- Facing Mara ARTE / Artsworld (2002)
- Rhythm ARTE / Artsworld (2001)