Samsung Galaxy Shines a Light on Overlooked Places and People Using Technology to Change the World

Samsung has launched a new instalment of its 'Voices of Galaxy' series, which highlights people on the edge of the modern world taking the world’s biggest issues into their own hands. The latest episode follows the story of village chief Uruma Kambeba and his 12-year-old daughter Taíssa, as they use mobile technology to protect their land, community, and way of life in the heart of the Amazon rainforest.

The lushly told three-minute film addresses a threat facing an indigenous community living deep inside the most impenetrable rainforest in the world: deforestation. Featuring the front-line protectors striving to save ‘the lungs of the world’ from violent activity, the film follows Chief Uruma Kambeba and daughter Taíssa as they confront its physical and existential impacts. The father-daughter duo speaks to the longstanding spirit of the forest and their right to protect the Amazon, a vital source of livelihood and culture for indigenous communities and a crucial component of the planet’s ecological health.

As village chief, Uruma tells us of the huge responsibility he feels to protect the entire Amazon nation, and the 30 million people that call it home – recounting a nightmarish moment he thought his village was lost. He demonstrates how his community is mobilising to protect the forest by repurposing Galaxy smartphones to defend their land – safely - against what are often dangerously armed invaders. Armed with Galaxy technology, they can stand against deforestation more efficiently by clearly capturing signs of logging and trespassing from a safe distance, sending them to authorities straight from the scene without risking their lives, and connecting with other groups to scale the action. Showcasing the challenge in the most authentic way, the film is voiced over by Uruma and Taíssa and features moments of everyday life, including how Taíssa uses her phone as a tool to educate others in her region about the rainforest’s plight. The film shows us how Uruma is equipping the next generation – his children – to continue his efforts ending with a defiant promise: “I’ll never give up”.

Samsung’s illuminating storytelling series offers a powerful glimpse into a community that doesn’t need pity, but instead deserves attention on a global scale.

Carlos Perez, executive creative director at Ogilvy New York, said: “Our mission with Voices of Galaxy was fiercely bottom-up from the start: to elevate the stories of those groups who have repurposed Galaxy technology entirely independently in order to mobilise, organise and stand for their cause. In meeting Uruma and Taíssa, we wanted to help tell their story and do their mission justice. As the film shows, Uruma and Taíssa speak for themselves in their actions. We are extremely proud and privileged to share and amplify their voices as part of the ongoing effort to protect the Amazon.”