Watch Keep the River on Your Right: A Modern Cannibal Tale

In the year 2000, Keep the River on Your Right: A Modern Cannibal Tale was released, directed by brothers David and Laurie Gwen Shapiro. The film is a riveting documentary that follows the remarkable story of the American artist and anthropologist Tobias Schneebaum, whose work takes him on a journey into the heart of the Amazon rainforest.

The story begins with Schneebaum's travels in Peru in the early 1950s. As a young man, he had developed a fascination with the Amazonian people and their customs, and he set out to explore their way of life. Schneebaum's travels took him deep into the jungle, where he lived among the Amarakaire and Asmat tribes. He embraced their way of life, living off the land and surviving on local foods and herbs.

Schneebaum's journey also took him to some darker places, where he witnessed the rituals of cannibalism. One of the most surprising aspects of the movie is Schneebaum's frankness about his participation in these rituals. He describes, in a matter-of-fact manner, how he ate human flesh and enjoyed it.

The documentary also explores Schneebaum's homosexual identity and his relationships with men, which at the time were often kept secret. The directors use interviews with family and friends, as well as Schneebaum's own words and artworks, to add depth to his character.

The documentary also features conversations with Norman Mailer, the Pulitzer Prize-winning author, who was a close friend of Schneebaum. Mailer, who himself had written extensively about the Amazon, provides an interesting perspective on Schneebaum's journey.

Perhaps the most intriguing aspect of Keep the River on Your Right is the way it explores the lines between anthropology, art, and personal exploration. Through Schneebaum's stories and his art, the filmmakers show how the act of observing and documenting a culture can be an artistic process in itself.

The title of the movie comes from a piece of advice Schneebaum received when he first entered the jungle. He was told to always keep the river on his right side, as a way of staying oriented in the midst of the dense wilderness. The metaphor of the river, as a symbol of the journey, is a powerful one throughout the movie.

The cinematography is breathtaking, capturing the beauty and danger of the Amazon with precision. The filmmakers employ an evocative mix of contemporary footage and archival material, which transports the viewer back in time to the era of Schneebaum's explorations.

Overall, Keep the River on Your Right: A Modern Cannibal Tale is a fascinating, thought-provoking, and at times shocking documentary that examines the limits of personal exploration, cultural understanding, and artistic expression. Tobias Schneebaum's journey into the Amazonian wilderness will leave a lasting impression on viewers.

Keep the River on Your Right: A Modern Cannibal Tale is a 2000 documentary with a runtime of 1 hour and 34 minutes. It has received moderate reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 6.7 and a MetaScore of 63.