HBO Max Premieres Documentary Series Death and Mystery in the Amazon

The new documentary series "Death and Mystery in the Amazon" premieres this Thursday (10) on the HBO Max streaming service, bringing back one of the most enigmatic cases from the northern region of the country. The production reconstructs the story of foreign explorers who disappeared in the 1970s and 1980s, attracted by an alleged lost city. Directors Tatiana Issa and Guto Barra spent years investigating the case to separate reality from local legends.

The legend of Akakor and guide Tatunca Nara

The case began to gain traction in the 1970s with rumors about Akakor, an alleged ancient city hidden in the Amazon rainforest. The story gained momentum after German journalist Karl Brugger published the book "The Chronicle of Akakor", based on conversations with Tatunca Nara. Tatunca presented himself as the leader of the Ugha Mongulala indigenous people and claimed to know the way to the mysterious city, starting to work as a guide for foreign expeditions.

Attracted by the promise of finding the lost city, several adventurers traveled to the region. However, the expeditions ended in deaths and disappearances that prompted police investigations for decades. Tatunca Nara became associated with the disappearance of tourists such as John Reed, Christine Heuser, and Herbert Wanner.

The true identity behind the myth

Subsequent investigations revealed that Tatunca Nara is actually named Hans Günther Hauck, born in Germany on October 5, 1941. He arrived in Brazil around 1966 and adopted new identities over the years. Journalist Karl Brugger, who was trying to locate Akakor, ended up shot dead in Ipanema, Rio de Janeiro, on January 1, 1984, in a case that was never officially closed.

Tatunca Nara continues to live in the Amazon and has never been formally charged with the crimes. In the documentary series, he gives his testimony and denies the allegations, although he is confronted with the evidence gathered by the producers.

Behind the scenes of a complex and dangerous production

The production of "Death and Mystery in the Amazon" took eight years of investigation and involved travel to five countries: Brazil, Germany, Switzerland, Norway, and the United States. The film crew faced long boat trips along the Rio Negro and had to decipher thousands of pages of court files in German, Portuguese, and Swiss.

During filming, the crew went through moments of tension. After a tough confrontation interview with Tatunca Nara, the directors received death threats in the Upper Rio Negro region and had to flee the area in a hurry by boat. According to director Tatiana Issa, he proved to be an extremely manipulative man who tried to dodge questions at every turn.

Journalistic rigor in the face of an unsolved case

Since this is a case without a definitive judicial conclusion, the directors highlighted the need to maintain strict journalistic rigor. Guto Barra explained that all the information presented was checked and corroborated through official documents and police investigations, avoiding focusing solely on the fantastic narratives of the witnesses.

According to Warner Bros. Discovery representatives Adriana Cechetti and Patricio Díaz, the series' objective is to demystify colonial legends about lost treasures and restore the identity of the case's victims, giving a voice and a name to the people who disappeared in the forest.

With information from CNN Brasil, Metrópoles, O TEMPO.