Oscar Winner Chai Vasarhelii talked Nat Geo Doc ‘lost in the jungle’

U “Lost in the jungle“Oscar winners Jimmy Chin and Chai Vasarhelii (“Free Solo”) Share with Colombian film Juan Camilo Cruza to tell a story about four dominant siblings in a distant part of Colombian rainforest after the chest planes crashed and killed their mother, Magdalen Mucutui and pilot plane.

The film, which was premiered at the Film Telluride Festival, is one of two 2025 NAT Geo documentaries who directed Chin and Vasarhelii. They also have “Love + War”, O Fighting photographer Linsei Addario, which is currently screening on Camden Intl. Film festival.

“Lost in the Jungle” is a third documentary on Debt length about brothers and sisters, Solenini, Tien and Cristin Mucutui is a wonderful survival story. Last year, Netflik published “Lost Children” and “Operation Hope – Children lost in Amazon” was released on yours. But “lost in the jungle” stands out because the beard, Vasarhelii and Cruz provided the right to the story of Mucutui siblings. Not only are the children appear in the “lost in the jungle”, but also interviewed.

“It was very important to be able to let children tell their story in their words and it meant to jump through a lot of hoops and waiting and bring many different interests together and different parties together,” says Vasarheli.

Variety He talked to Vasarhelii and Cruza about “lost in the jungle”, which prime ministers at the National Geographical September 12 and the stream on Disney + and Hulu 13. September. September.

In addition to children, the film includes interviews with local indigenous tribes and Colombian military commands that found children, as well as Colombian President Gustavo Petro and Magdalena Mucutiv former partner, family and friends and friends. How did you get such an outstanding approach?

Vasarhelii: It was probably the most complicated film I’ve ever made in terms of access.

Cruz: As we entered the story, we discovered more and more characters and how deep the story told. So that’s why we have such a choir of different votes in the movie. It took a lot of effort, energy and skill to get everything in place.

Was it difficult to interview children about one of the most famous times in their life?

Cruz: We approached extreme respect and with complete powers from families and from the organization that took care of children after tragic events occurred. (They had) psychological support (during the interview), and we also had our own team, who gave us a lot of information in the best way to actually do conversations and the best way to get closer to children. I think that giving (children) the opportunity to give them ownership of their story voice that they don’t have so long.

In the doctor, it is clear that the children who serves and their mother faced significant financial difficulties. You both profit your story. Did the kids make up to give you the right to their story?

Vasarhelii: Yes. Of course. We have entrusted the trust for children and compensated for their rights, because it is a fair thing. For this film, especially children tell the story in their words, I hope it will be an empowering thing for them in their life and also in some way to protect them.

In addition to the main heads, archieving shots and rigging, you used animation to print parts of the story. Basically, animation was used while the children explained how they spent the days in the jungle. How did you decide to use animation to tell that part of the story?

Vasarhelii: I think animation can often be manipulative, but I thought this line of line drawings would focus on real words, which were the real words, which were said to access the audience what it takes is that these autochthonous children must be in the jungle.

There are several sequences of the working reenact in Doc involving the indigenous rescue team and the Colombian military rescue team. They did not feel like rehearsal sequences. I felt like watching archives. How did you look so real?

Cruz: We had a luxury that we actually have the right people to return with us back to Amazon. Indigenous are very precise in their narrative. They don’t want to lie and the army is also very strict. In fact, every situation we actually recreated was very, very, very close to reality how it happened. You know, from the background, from shares and how they actually set in certain situations.