Partially based on true events, The Emerald Forest is a movie directed by John Boorman that depicts an American dam engineer working in Brazil who sees his own son kidnapped by a rainforest tribe.

The main character spends most of his free time searching for his lost son and ten years later he finds him. His son has been raised as one of the tribe’s own and embarks on a journey to try to save the rainforest, home of the tribe he is now part of. Psychedelics are featured in this movie as part of the tribe’s culture. While they play a secondary role in a movie whose primary message is an environmental one, drug usage by indigenous tribes is well represented.

Tommy, the main character, is introduced to psychedelics as part of the ritual to achieve his manhood and to discover himself and his inner animal, and also to have visions that may guide him in his path. He also encourages his father to participate in a ritual that includes using a psychedelic snuff so that he can too make decisions he need to make.