Deadline: Area23a Sets Release Date For ‘We Are Guardians,’ Film About Amazon Rainforest Protectors From Producer Fisher Stevens, E.P. Leonardo DiCaprio

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EXCLUSIVE: Area23a has acquired We Are Guardians, an urgent documentary on Indigenous defenders of the Amazon Rainforest in Brazil produced by Fisher Stevens’ Highly Flammable, and Leonardo DiCaprio’s Appian Way.

Area23a is set to release the film theatrically on June 6 beginning in Los Angeles, followed by a nationwide 50 city theatrical screening tour. Amazon will be releasing We Are Guardians imminently in Germany and the U.K. The film is directed by Edivan Guajajara, co-founder of Mídia Indígena, Brazil’s leading Indigenous-led journalism collective, and environmental filmmakers Chelsea Greene and Rob Grobman.

We Are Guardians follows Tembé and Guajajara forest guardians of Brazil “in their fight to protect the Amazon Rainforest from destruction,” according to a release. “Shot in a close, character-driven vérité style, the film explores the complex intersections of politics, history, economics, and science, shedding light on the global implications of deforestation in one of the world’s most vital ecosystems.”

Stevens, the Oscar-winning producer of The Cove, said in a statement, “With the current administration gutting the EPA and NOAA, along with decimating climate protections, the message and impact of We Are Guardians to protect our world’s lungs is more vital and urgent than ever before.”

Area23a owner Kirt Eftekhar commented, “We’re thrilled to be partnering with the teams at Highly Flammable, Appian Way, Random Good, and the filmmakers behind We Are Guardians. This visually stunning film—made for the big screen experience—offers communities across North America a unique opportunity to come together, spark impactful discussion, and take part in the mission to protect the Amazon.”

The pace of deforestation in Brazil’s rainforest slowed between 2023-2024, but in that time frame it still lost close to 2,500 square miles – roughly the size of the state of Delaware.

“We Are Guardians is a prayer for the earth, for humanity, for connection and an appeal to the whole of human society at a time of deep polarization,” said directors Chelsea Greene and Rob Grobman. “This film not only introduces us to the forest guardians in the Brazilian Amazon, but also to the loggers, farmers, and ranchers who must be included in this important conversation.”