Toroboro: The Name of the Plants Film Screening

On Wednesday, February 26th, the Council of Latin American and Iberian Studies (CLAIS) at the Yale MacMillan Center held a screening of Toroboro: El nombre de las plantas, directed by Manolo Sarmiento. This thought-provoking documentary revisits an ethnobotanical study conducted at the turn of the century in Quehueiri-Ono, a Waorani village in the Ecuadorian Amazon. Twenty-five years after the original research, the film follows efforts to reunite the study’s contributors and document the names and uses of thousands of plant species, many of which are now threatened by deforestation, oil extraction, and industrial encroachment.

The documentary sheds light on the resilience of the Waorani people and their deep-rooted relationship with the land. The film explores the impact of colonization and the encroachment of modern civilization, beginning with the construction of a bridge and road in 1970 that initiated the conquest of the Napo River. Known as Toroboro to the Waorani, the river remains central to their way of life, despite the devastating effects of deforestation and external interventions. The study originally identified 625 plant species, with 100% of the trees proving useful to the community. However, the research was halted due to a lack of funding, leaving many plant species undocumented and at risk of being lost to history.

A key aspect of the documentary follows the director’s journey to track down the 13 researchers involved in the original study and reconnect them with the Waorani community. As the film unfolds, it becomes evident that for the Waorani, the study was not just about cataloging plants but about the larger story of their survival and cultural memory. Several elders recall the devastating consequences of first contact with outsiders, including the spread of diseases that decimated their population. One particularly moving scene involves an elderly Waorani man struggling with memory loss but vividly remembering those who perished. Though only six individuals were lost in one incident, their deaths remain deeply woven into the fabric of the community’s collective memory.

The Q&A session following the screening provided further insight into the film’s production. The session was moderated by Ana María Durán, a Daniel Rose (1951) Visiting Assistant Professor at Yale. Durán also served on the Science Panel for the Amazon and brought a unique perspective to the discussion. In particular, when an audience member asked whether one of the characters in the film felt remorse for selling parts of the forest for industrialization and deforestation, she addressed the complexities of poverty in the rainforest. She explained how people in the Amazon have had to adapt from relying entirely on the forest for sustenance for hundreds of years to now navigating a world driven by money. Durán emphasized that the challenges facing the rainforest are multifaceted and nuanced and that, rather than judging, we must strive to understand.

Director Manolo Sarmiento shared that his journey into the project began after discovering a book on Amazonian botanical knowledge during a vacation. His curiosity led him to track down informants from the original study through social media, where he found them eager to share their experiences. Despite his limited initial knowledge of Amazonian cultures and geography, Sarmiento’s dedication to documenting the Waorani’s botanical wisdom shaped the film into a testament to the urgency of preservation.
One audience member inquired about the absence of Waorani women in the film. Sarmiento explained that in 1995, when the original study was conducted, women were largely shielded from outside contact. Consequently, the primary informants were men, and the film sought to reconnect with the same individuals. However, he noted the potential for a different perspective if the study had included women, questioning whether they might have their own distinct knowledge and classification of the plants. He expressed interest in seeing a future project explore the Waorani women's perspective.

As the discussion concluded, Sarmiento emphasized that Toroboro: El nombre de las plantas represents just one of many stories within the Amazon. The film serves as both a historical record and a call to action, urging viewers to consider the ongoing threats to indigenous knowledge and environmental conservation. By preserving the names and uses of plants, the Waorani people are also preserving their history, identity, and connection to the land, standing as a testament to resilience in the face of profound challenges.