Experiencing Interruptions?

The Macaw Project - Biologists, Ecotourists and Local Communities for the Amazonian Rainforest

A long-term scientific research project has been implemented in the Tambopata Research Center. Here in the Peruvian Amazon, biologists, veterinarians, and geneticists work tirelessly to study the enigmatic macaws in their natural habitat. The acquired knowledge helps them to maintain the species and protect this biodiversity hotspot from human intruders: the gold miners. However, scientific approach alone was not enough to protect the area. A clever, economic solution was needed, offering alternative incentives to local people to keep these forests standing: eco-tourism. The Macaw Project gives a glimpse to the everyday work of the researchers, while also explains cutting-edge techniques with novel findings in a comprehensible way. It reveals information about the tropical rainforest ecosystem based on hard scientific evidence. This scientific documentary presents a sustainable and internationally applicable model for biodiversity conservation, incorporating scientific research and eco-tourism with strong involvement of the local communities.

  • Cintia Garai
    Director
    Wildcrime: Illegal Parrot Trade, Lapalala: An Example to Follow
  • Cintia Garai
    Writer
  • Dávid Attila Molnár
    Producer
    Budapest Wild, The Invisible Wildlife Photographer, Wildcrime, Sharks in My Viewfinder
  • Zsolt Marcell Tóth
    Producer
    Budapest Wild, The Invisible Wildlife Photographer, TimeHopper, Sharks in My Viewfinder
  • George Olah
    Producer
  • George Olah
    Key Cast
  • Kurt Holle
    Key Cast
  • Donald Brightsmith
    Key Cast
  • Sharman Hoppes
    Key Cast
  • Cintia Garai
    Cinematography
  • Balazs Tisza
    Cinematography
  • Cintia Garai
    Film Editing
  • Dávid Attila Molnár
    Film Editing
  • Zsolt Marcell Tóth
    Film Editing
  • George Olah
    Scientific Editor
  • Wildlife Messengers
    Production Company
  • Project Title (Original Language):
    El Proyecto Guacamayo - Biólogos, Ecoturistas, y Comunidades Nativas por la Selva Amazónica
  • Project Type:
    Documentary
  • Genres:
    Wildlife, Research
  • Runtime:
    26 minutes 51 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    February 15, 2017
  • Production Budget:
    9,600 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    Hungary
  • Country of Filming:
    Peru
  • Language:
    English, Spanish
  • Shooting Format:
    Full HD, 4K
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • The Australian National UNiversity
    Canberra
    Australia
    December 6, 2016
    Australian Premiere
  • Parrot Fest
    Houston, Texas
    United States
    January 27, 2017
    USA Premiere
  • TV Perú
    Lima
    Peru
    May 7, 2017
    Peruvian Premiere
Distribution Information
  • Vimeo
    Country: Worldwide
    Rights: Video on Demand
  • AmazON
    Country: United States
    Rights: Video on Demand
  • FanForce
    Country: Australia
    Rights: Theatrical
    Country: New Zealand
    Rights: Theatrical
  • Wildlife Messengers
    Country: Worldwide
    Rights: All Rights
Director Biography - Cintia Garai

Cintia’s main interests are the great apes and Africa. She got her Master of Science degree in Zoology in 2006 in Hungary; her thesis was about the environmental enrichment of captive great apes. Then she started to work in the Congo with bonobos. Later she worked for a Hungarian wildlife filmmaking group, Filmjungle.eu Productions, and decided that she wants to make films for conservation purposes, especially in remote areas. That is how she got to Tambopata, Peru, where she filmed The Macaw Project. In 2015, she gained a PhD degree in Primatology, at the Kyoto University in Japan. Currently she is working in Africa, in the Democratic Republic of Congo, as a conservationist, and in the meantime she continues filming and exploring the possibilities of using films in different ways for nature conservation.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

“My first filming experience in tropical rainforest took place in the Congo, and after that I was very happy to have the chance to film in a Peruvian rainforest as well. I thought, the challenges would be the same, but I met some new difficulties. For example, I was surprised to have had my camera broken by a domestic cat jumping on it in a lodge in the middle of the rainforest! :) Another new thing was to film 40 meters high, while hanging on a rope, trying to keep my balance. This part though was one of the best experiences I’ve ever had, seeing the forest from the monkeys’ and birds’ point of view. Some things were already familiar from the Congo, like the humidity that destroys the equipment, or the insects, sometimes so many that you cannot even close the camera lens! But no matter what, it is always amazing, exciting and a whole new world. What makes Tambopata so special to me is that many animal species are not afraid of people, they just accept us being guests in their home.”