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AEI in Ecuador The story of how Randy Borman became the white chief of an Ecuadorian rain-forest tribe sounds like it ought to be an animated Disney movie. Borman calls his book "Minister of the Forest" - a title that could easily pass for the sequel to "Lion King" of "Pocahontas." But Borman is the real thing. A proposal for his book began circulating among publishers this week - with the prospect of a Hollywood movie close behind. Born in the Ecuadorian jungle to Texas missionary parents, Borman became chief of the Cofan tribe honestly - by marrying the daughter of the old chief. "Randy Borman does for the rain forest what 'The Perfect Storm' does for the sea or 'Into Thin Air' does for Everest" says the proposal. Ken Atchity who prefers to be called a "literary manager" rather than an agent - says he expects "Minister of the Forest" to draw bids in the mid-to-high six figures. Atchity travelled to Ecuador with an HBO producer last fall to convince Borman to write a book. Eight hundred miles from the nearest telephone or electrical outlet, Atchity says he found a man with a library filled with philosophy books (in French) and a published body of scholarly work on primatology. Ten years ago, oil was discovered in the virgin area where the Cofan lived. Borman negotiated with the government to move the tribe 120 miles away to a new settlement. When oil drilling equipment began showing up on the new land a few years ago, Borman led a band of Cofan who kidnapped a 23-man oil crew for a day - a protest that inspired a CBS piece on Borman. "I think Randy recognizes that it's a hopeless fight ultimately," says Atchity. An auction for rights to the book is tentatively planned for later this month. Reprinted from New York Post / Business / Sunday 8 Feb 98 |