Directors Grace Winter and Luc Plantier’s first feature length documentary, THE MARQUIS DE WAVRIN: FROM THE MANOR TO THE JUNGLE, is an atmospheric leap into the life of Marquis Robert de Wavrin, the first white man to encounter the infamous “head-shrinking” Shuar Indians. Despite occasional pacing issues and a tendency to veer on the side of the austere, Winter and Plantier’s debut remains an accomplished, comprehensive look at a man whose story deserves to be told.

Drawing from a wealth of archive footage, photographs and anthropological films, the documentary fills its eighty-five-minute runtime by following the Marquis’ journey into the unknown, gaining an unprecedented insight into the lives and culture of indigenous tribes across the length and breadth of South America. Winter and Plantier achieve this by weaving together over six-thousand metres of film (much of which was captured by the Marquis himself between 1920 and 1938), offering a raw, unfiltered look at the daily life of tribes all across the continent, many of which are now extinct.

It’s an intriguing concept, and one the film delivers with calm, cleanly edited competence. Hughes Maréchal’s soundtrack is a particular highlight, effortlessly swinging between 1920s inspired jazz and ambient electronic synth, without ever feeling sudden or out of place. Unfortunately, the pacing isn’t quite so consistent, with the film noticeably dragging as it enters the second half. It’s an understandable side-effect of Winter and Plantier’s desire to cram each moment with as much information as possible, but it’s nonetheless a shame the film couldn’t maintain the same energy with which it started.

There’s no avoiding that THE MARQUIS DE WAVRIN: FROM THE MANOR TO THE JUNGLE is a slow-burn. Those who can overlook this, however, will find a charming, atmospheric account of the life and exploits of a man more people should know about.