Embrace of the Serpent
El abrazo de la serpiente
“A poetic and haunting journey into a lost world.”
Synopsis
The epic story of the first contact, encounter, approach, betrayal and, eventually, life-transcending friendship, between Karamakate, an Amazonian shaman, last survivor of his people, and two scientists that, over the course of 40 years, travel through the Amazon in search of a sacred plant that can heal them. Inspired by the journals of the first explorers of the Colombian Amazon, Theodor Koch-Grunberg and Richard Evans Schultes.
Trailers, Teasers & Extra Featurettes
Official promotional previews, behind-the-scenes footage, and exclusive clips.
International TrailerOfficial
Type: Trailer • Published 2015-04-21
Top Cast
Explore Star Directory →
Release History & Theatrical Window
Golden Apricot Film Festival
Festival / Special Debut
February 17, 2016
Wide Cinema Exhibition
September 12, 2016
Physical Home Media
Financials & Box Office Performance
Production Budget
$1.4M
Filming & production cost
Worldwide Gross
$1.3M
Total global ticket sales
Box Office Return
0.94x
-$80K deficit
Theatrical Status
Budget Return
Box office tier
Key Information & Fast Facts
- Director
- Ciro Guerra
- Screenplay & Story
- Jacques Toulemonde, Ciro Guerra
- Original Score
- Nascuy Linares
- Original Title
- El abrazo de la serpiente
- Country of Origin
- Argentina, Colombia, Venezuela
- Spoken Languages
- Catalan, German, Latin, Portuguese, Spanish
- Runtime
- 2h 5m
- Production Budget
- $1.4M
- Worldwide Gross
- $1.3M
- Production Studios
- Nortesur Producciones, Buffalo Films, Caracol Televisión, Ciudad Lunar, MC Producciones, Dago García Producciones
Creative Leadership & Key Crew
Ciro Guerra
Jacques Toulemonde, Ciro Guerra
Nascuy Linares
David Gallego
Etienne Boussac
Marcelo Céspedes, Raúl Bravo, Hori Mentasti, Cristina Gallego
Department Leadership Roster
Jacques Toulemonde
Writer
Etienne Boussac
Editor
Ciro Guerra
Director
Ciro Guerra
Writer
Angélica Perea
Production Design
Cristina Gallego
Producer
David Gallego
Director of Photography
Catherine Rodríguez
Costume Design
Nascuy Linares
Original Music Composer
Age Classification & Content Advisories
Official viewer rating standards and content warnings across international classification boards.
International Certification Matrix
Suitable only for 15 years and over.
Production Stills & Gallery
Official cinematic photography and background stills for Embrace of the Serpent.
Featured In Curated Collections
Editorial lists, community rankings, and cinematic collections featuring Embrace of the Serpent.
Letterboxd's Top 500 Films
Letterboxd's Top 500 Films. Ranks narrative feature films by average member rating (minimum 25,000 ratings). Excludes documentaries, shorts, and TV series. Letterboxd 官方 Top 500 电影榜单： 根据用户平均评分排名的剧情长片（最低2.5万评价门槛）。已排除纪录片、短片及剧集。 *(Updated via Automated ETL Pipeline: 2026-10-19 07:35:07 UTC+8)*
Latin American Cinema
Auto-generated by festival-lists — do not edit by hand.
Limelight Not Seen
Watched
Everything I have watched. Kept in sync by Stremio Playlist Automator.
list7
BD Release: 2011-2015
Movies released in 4K Blu-ray format - 2011-2015
Similar Titles to Embrace of the Serpent
Movies sharing stylistic DNA, tone, and thematic storytelling
7.3
7.2
7.5
5.9
5.0
6.2
6.4
6.3
6.1
7.4
6.6
6.7
7.2
6.4
6.0
5.5
6.0
10.0
More Like Embrace of the Serpent
Recommended titles matching themes, cast, and genres.
Frequently Asked Questions About Embrace of the Serpent
Quick factual answers about cast, synopsis, director, box office, and release information.
What is Embrace of the Serpent about?
The epic story of the first contact, encounter, approach, betrayal and, eventually, life-transcending friendship, between Karamakate, an Amazonian shaman, last survivor of his people, and two scientists that, over the course of 40 years, travel through the Amazon in search of a sacred plant that can heal them. Inspired by the journals of the first explorers of the Colombian Amazon, Theodor Koch-Grunberg and Richard Evans Schultes.
Who directed Embrace of the Serpent?
Embrace of the Serpent was directed by Ciro Guerra.
Who stars in Embrace of the Serpent?
The principal cast of Embrace of the Serpent includes Nilbio Torres, Antonio Bolívar, Jan Bijvoet, Brionne Davis, Yauenkü Miguee.
When was Embrace of the Serpent released and how long is it?
Embrace of the Serpent was released in 2015 with a total runtime of 2h 5m.
What was the box office and production budget of Embrace of the Serpent?
Embrace of the Serpent had a reported production budget of $1.4M and grossed $1.3M at the worldwide box office (0.94 return on budget, classified as a underperformed).
Who composed the musical score for Embrace of the Serpent?
The original motion picture soundtrack for Embrace of the Serpent was composed by Nascuy Linares.
What is the age rating and content advisory for Embrace of the Serpent?
Embrace of the Serpent holds official age classifications: GB: 15 (Suitable only for 15 years and over.).