Watch this short video to learn how to watch the film and to support indigenous communities in the Amazon.
SELECT A SUPPORTER OPTION BELOW TO WATCH THE FILM
Fifty percent of net proceeds are returned to Indigenous-led projects in the very communities that entrusted us with their stories.
Wisdom of the Ancestors
Film Supporter
Film Supporter
Donate & Watch
( 48-Hour Access )
- Watch Katô: Dreams of Dark Earth for 48 hours
- Access to the 3-Day Live Online Event with Amazonian Leaders
- Receive a downloadable workbook
- Support the Indigenous communities featured in the film
Suggested minimum donation $20
no one will be turned away for lack of funds
Wisdom of the Ancestors
Supporter + All-Access
12-Film & Talks Pass
Supporter + All-Access
12-Film & Talks Pass
Watch ALL 12 Films & Events
(2-Year Extended Access)
- Unlimited streaming of our 5 current films: Katô: Dreams of Dark Earth, In The Circle of Life, If An Owl Calls Your Name, Mauri, and The Eternal Song
- Full 12 companion films, each from a featured community, released every two months
- 10 recorded sessions from In The Circle of Life premiere event
- 15 recorded sessions from the Owl Event
- 15 recorded sessions from the Mauri Event
- 50+ recorded sessions from all our live gatherings with Elders and knowledge keepers
- Audio files & full transcripts of each session
- Extended interviews & behind-the-scenes conversations
- The original film soundtrack
- Two-year access to your private library
- Monthly community gatherings to stay connected
- Discussion groups to share reflections, questions, and resources
Money Back Guarantee
We are so confident that these films and online teachings will be such a valuable
experience we’re offering an unconditional 14-day money back guarantee.
The Guardians
JOIN US FOR THE GLOBAL FILM PREMIERE + 3-DAY ONLINE EVENT
MARCH 18 – 20, 2026
Katô: Dreams of Dark Earth Global Online Journey Schedule
Live Talks and Q&A with Amazonian Leaders
DAY 1
Live @ 9:00 am PDT
Welcome, Intro & Opening Prayer Circlew/ Zaya Benazzo and Maurizio Benazzo
Live @ 9:15 - 10:30 am PDT
Film Communal Screening
Q&A with Film Directors and Amazonian Leaders
Territory, Sovereignty and Global Responsibility
w/ Aldira Akai, Rilcelia Akai & Cacique Juarez
An Interview with Sonia Guajajara
DAY 2
Defending Tapajós River: Direct Action and Media Activism
w/ Alessandra & Beka Munduruku
DAY 3
Live @ 9:00 am PDT
Culture as Resistance: Memory, Art and Living Ancestryw/ Vandria Borari
How Your Contribution Supports Indigenous Communities
In The Spirit of Reciprocity
We thank the past, current, and future Indigenous stewards of this territory.
SAND is a nonprofit organization under section 501.c.3 of the US tax code. Its headquarters are on the unceded ancestral territories of Coastal Miwok and Southern Pomo Land in Sebastopol, CA. We thank the past, current, and future Indigenous stewards of this territory.
We thank the past, current, and future Indigenous stewards of this territory.
With Katô: Dreams of Dark Earth, at least 50% of the funds we receive—after covering costs—
are directed to Indigenous-led initiatives in the territories where we filmed.
When you donate to watch the film, you help support the following project:
Indigenous Film Fund
Indigenous Film Fund
This project empowers indigenous youth to become filmmakers, share their stories and protect their ancestral lands through visual storytelling.
In the Amazon village of Sawré Muybu, Brazil, we provided a production course and donated cameras to the Daje Kapap Eypi women’s audiovisual collective. Two years later, these young women have completed their first feature documentary and successfully used it to inform and mobilize the global community about illegal deforestation in their territory.
Amplifying the Daje Kapap Eypi Women’s Collective
Amplifying the Daje Kapap Eypi Women’s Collective
This initiative is dedicated to empowering the Indigenous women of the Munduruku people in Sawré Muybu, Brazil, to defend their territory and culture through film.
WISDOM OF THE ANCESTORS 12–FILM SERIES
The Eternal Song
Over the next two years, we will release a total of 12 full-length films featuring different indigenous traditions. Each film opens a portal into the ancestral wisdom of these cultures, calling us to remember, grieve, heal, and act.
The Eternal Song
LAND: EARTH
92 Minutes • WATCH NOW
Mauri
LAND: AOTEAROA (NEW ZEALAND)
70 Minutes • WATCH NOW
If an Owl
Calls Your Name
LAND: Esk’etemc, Gitxsan, and Wet’suwet’en (CANADA)
92 MINUTES • WATCH NOW
In the Circle
of Life
LAND: BUNDJALUNG & WIRADJURI (AUSTRALIA)
75 Minutes • WATCH NOW
Katô: Dreams
of Dark Earth
LAND: DAJE KAPAP EYPI (BRAZIL)
76 MINUTES • PREMIERE NOW
Little Singer
LAND: DINÉ BIKÉYAH (ARIZONA)
81 MINUTES • COMING APRIL 2026
Sila
LAND: KALAALLIT NUNAAT (GREENLAND)
COMING 2026
Kuleana
LAND: MOKUPUNI HAWAI’I
COMING 2026
Guarani-Kaiowá
LAND: MATO GROSSO DO SUL (BRAZIL)
COMING 2026
Maasai
LAND: OLOSHO LE MAA (KENYA)
COMING 2027
Haida
LAND: HAIDA GWAII (CANADA)
COMING 2027
Ifá
LAND: TSENACOMOCO (VIRGINIA)
COMING 2027
The Eternal Song
LAND: EARTH
Mauri
LAND: AOTEAROA (NEW ZEALAND)
If an Owl Calls
Your Name
LAND: UNIST’OT’EN YIN’TAH (CANADA)
In the
Circle of Life
LAND: BUNDJALUNG & WIRADJURI (AUSTRALIA)
Katô:
Dreams of Dark Earth
LAND: DAJE KAPAP EYPI (BRAZIL)
Sila
LAND: KALAALLIT NUNAAT (GREENLAND)
Little Singer
LAND: DINÉ BIKÉYAH (ARIZONA)
Kuleana
LAND: MOKUPUNI HAWAI’I
Guarani-Kaiowá
LAND: MATO GROSSO DO SUL (BRAZIL)
Maasai
LAND: OLOSHO LE MAA (KENYA)
Haida
LAND: HAIDA GWAII (CANADA)
Ifá
LAND: TSENACOMOCO (VIRGINIA)
Upgrade to the Wisdom of the Ancestors All-Access
12-Film Pass to Receive 50+ Talks and Teaching
from the Following Wisdom Keepers & Elders
12-Film Pass to Receive 50+ Talks and Teaching
from the Following Wisdom Keepers & Elders
Carrying the Vision
The Crew
Born and raised in Sofia, Bulgaria, and fascinated with exploring life’s big questions, Zaya feels most at home in nature and, increasingly, within herself. Her deepest passion is bringing spiritual wisdom in service of all life. She has produced and directed several award-winning documentaries including The Wisdom of Trauma, The Art of Life, Rays of the Absolute, and Where Olive Trees Weep
Zaya Ralitza BenazzoProducer / Director 
Born and raised in Genova, Italy with deep ancestral roots in Piemonte, Maurizio is devoted to making visible the profound interconnectedness between all forms of life and the ancestral wisdom that flows through it. He and Zaya co-founded SAND, and together they have since co-directed, produced and independently distributed several award-winning documentaries.
Maurizio BenazzoProducer / Director 
Nika is a cinematographer born in Tbilisi, Georgia and raised in Toronto, Canada. After making his first film, Nika dived deep into the world of electronic music events. He joined some of the world's most renowned DJs on tour, creating music videos and after-movies for them. He also engaged in meaningful work with NGOs around the world.
Nickoloz KachibaiaDirector of Photography 
Caroline's natural talents cover three areas: science, art and drama. After receiving her Masters in Science, Caroline found unlikely doors opening for her with the BBC Natural History Unit and the BBC World Service. By the age of 28, she had filmed in over 30 countries and even had her feature documentary, an exposé on China’s Energy Industry, shut down by top government officials.
CAROLINE CAMPBELLDirector OF PHOTOGRAPHY 
Finley is a film and television editor, producer, and director from Toronto, Canada. Having cut thousands of commercial spots by the age of seventeen and his first feature at eighteen, Finley practically grew up in a post-house. Working with countless producers in Canada, the US, and Europe, Finley has amassed innumerable credits at a very young age. His most recent works include The Case Against Cosby, Life Below Zero: Canada, and In Their Own Words.
Finley MacNeilEditor / Producer 
Alexis is an Emmy award-winning producer and a video editor with over a decade of experience working for companies like NBC, CBS, ESPN and Netflix. She graduated from Brown University with a dual degree in Film and Theatre. When Alexis is not working on film and television, she enjoys performing with her band, Otaku Ongaku, and querying agents with her fantasy trilogy, The Shadow.
Alexis AurigemmaProducer 
Armand is a French Moroccan composer born in Jerusalem. He was imbued early with the sounds of instruments considered exotic at the time. He co-founded the record label Long Distance, dedicated to traditional music, and opened a museum in Paris for his huge collection of instruments from all over the world. Armand created Leylâ & Majnûn, an internationally acclaimed oratorio for the Fez Festival of World Sacred Music in Morocco.
Armand AmarComposer 
Jeanric grew up on the shores of Algeria where he developed a passion for the water element. His strong scientific background and his Kashmir Tantric Shaivism spiritual path directed him to become, pell-mell, an aquatic bodyworker, a telecommunication engineer, a pool specialist, a venture capitalist, and more. He helps with sound recording, writing, translating, editing, financial organization and human resources.
Jeanric MellerAssociate Producer 
A mother, educator, and elder-in-becoming from a loud and loving Italian family, Lisa values reciprocity, possibility, compassion and transformation. She believes in a world that works for everyone and remains committed to living in integrity and connection. She was instrumental in the physical organization of the journey.
Lisa Breschi Location Producer 
Yasen was born in Palo Alto, in the heart of Silicon Valley, where his early fascination with computers and visual storytelling shaped his unique approach to filmmaking. His professional path has included work as a cinematographer at Brown Barn Films, sound recordist and assistant camera for SAND, and production assistant on the feature film Under The Lights.
Yasen StoevCamera Assistant/Sound Recording 
Knowledge Holders
Our Guides
Pat McCabe (Weyakpa Najin Win, Woman Stands Shining) is a voice for global peace, and her paintings are created as tools for individual, earth and global healing. She draws upon the Indigenous sciences of Thriving Life to reframe questions about sustainability and balance, and is devoted to supporting the next generations in being functional members of the “Hoop of Life” and upholding the honor of being human.
Pat McCabeMother, Grandmother, Activist, Ceremonial leader, Diné 
Tiokasin has a long history with Indigenous activism and advocacy. The Founder, Host and Executive Producer for 28 years of First Voices Radio in New York City and Seattle/Olympia, Washington, he received many awards including a nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2016 and an award for New York City’s Peacemaker of the Year in 2013. He is a “perfectly flawed human being."
Tiokasin GhosthorseFounder of First Voices Radio, Cheyenne River Lakota Nation 
Born and raised in a remote village of Northeast Greenland, Rakel declared she would be a shaman when she was four. In 2012, she immersed herself in nature and the teachings from Silap Aappaa (the other worlds) to reconnect with the wisdom of her ancestors. By 2019, Rakel was formally initiated into the ancient tradition as an angakoq (medicine woman). She helps individuals rediscover their souls and restore harmony within themselves and the world.
Aviaja Rakel Sani-muinaq KristiansenInuk Shaman, Kangigaimeer, Nunarput (Greenland) 
Iya is a trauma specialist with ancestors in West Africa, Barbados, Jamaica and the Bahamas who brings over two decades of experience in mental health, social services, and community advocacy. She empowers individuals and communities to break cycles of trauma through healing practices which emphasize reconnection with cultural roots. She is a speaker and educator with a mission to facilitate re-culturing and healing of indigenous people all over the world.
Iya AffoFounder of Heal Historical Trauma, Speaker & Educator 
Bayo Akomolafe is the Chief Curator of The Emergence Network, a speaker, author, fugitive neo-materialist com-post-activist public intellectual and Yoruba poet. Bayo was born in 1983 into a Christian home, and to Yoruba parents in western Nigeria. Now living between India and the United States, Bayo is a father of Alethea Aanya and Kyah Jayden Abayomi. He is married to EJ, his dear life-partner of Indian descent.
Bayo AkomolafeYoruba Philosopher, Writer 
Chief Oluwo Obafemi Fayemi Epega is a world-renowned Babalawo and the founder of O.I.D.S.I. (Obafemi Institute for the Divine & Universal Study of Ifa). He was initiated as a priest of Obatala in 2004, and received his Tefa in 2005. He strongly believes that the restoration and preservation of African divine sciences and traditions can restore psychological balance and personal empowerment to all people. A lecturer, teacher and healer and the author of Who is Sambo?.
Obafemi FayemiFounder of Obafemi Institute for the Divine Study of Ifa 
