PANEL 1: Nhe’éry Jerá (Opening)

Guarani Ceremony, Carlos Papá and Cristine Takuá

Nhe’éry (pronounced nheeri) is what the Guarani people call the Atlantic Forest, a name that reveals nature’s pluriversality. According to filmmaker and leader of the Guarani Mbya people Carlos Papá, Nhe’éry means “where souls bathe” and cleanse. “Jerah” means, in this context, to blossom. Flip 2021 is about the relationship between literature and plants that flourishes in Nhe’éry. To start out, Guarani representatives from the region are hosting a prayer and chant ceremony in order to widen and protect Nhe’éry paths and grant Flip permission to enter its sacred territory. The opening is taking place at Praça da Matriz, the central Paraty square where an indigenous village existed before the city’s foundation. The original people who lived there, and who resist outside the city today, are returning to occupy the Historical Center with their words and rituals. Carlos Papá and Cristine Takuá, philosopher and teacher at an indigenous school located in Nhe’éry, are the chief guides in preparing this year’s edition of the festival. Nhe’éry Jerá will convey guidance to the public and all people who participate in Flip 2021.