Keep the River on Your Right: A Modern Cannibal Tale (2001)

Synopsis: This extraordinary documentary is the story of 78-year-old Tobias Schneebaum, a seemingly mild-mannered man who has lived an amazing life. Schneebaum grew up in Brooklyn, studied to be a Rabbi and... This extraordinary documentary is the story of 78-year-old Tobias Schneebaum, a seemingly mild-mannered man who has lived an amazing life. Schneebaum grew up in Brooklyn, studied to be a Rabbi and a painter, and in the 1950s decided to travel to Peru. There, he journeyed deep into the Amazon to live with an isolated native tribe. After a year in the jungle, Schneebaum returned to civilization with stories that he recounted in his book KEEP THE RIVER ON YOUR RIGHT, including a raid on another tribe that ended with murder and ritualistic cannibalism. This documentary follows Schneebaum as he lectures in New York and on a vacation cruise to New Guinea, as well as on a return trip to Peru, where he meets natives who still remember him after over forty years have passed. Schneebaum is one of the most complex and fascinating individuals ever seen in film: a gay, Jewish New Yorker who abandoned everything for an entire year and wandered out into Amazon jungle. This film also includes appearances by Schneebaum's childhood neighbor and friend, Norman Mailer, and footage of Schneebaum's appearance on The Mike Douglas Show, which shocked audiences and guests alike. [More]

Director: David Shapiro, Laurie Gwen Shapiro

Director: David Shapiro, Laurie Gwen Shapiro
Screenwriter: David Shapiro, Laurie Gwen Shapiro
Producer: Laurie Gwen Shapiro, David Shapiro
Composer: Steve Bernstein
Studio: IFC Films