Eriberto Gualinga is a celebrated Kichwa filmmaker, photographer, musician, and activist from the Sarayaku community in the Ecuadorian Amazon. A pioneer among Amazonian storytellers, Gualinga earned his degree in Film from the University of the Arts in Guayaquil, becoming the first filmmaker from Sarayaku to achieve this milestone. His work passionately documents the struggles of Indigenous peoples against the exploitation and destruction of their ancestral lands.

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Gualinga began making films in his twenties, during a time when the Sarayaku faced violent incursions by a state-backed oil company and military forces. Armed with his camera, he committed to capturing the resistance and resilience of his community. He aimed to help by amplifying their fight to defend the rainforest.

He directed several award-winning short documentaries, including Sachata Kishipichik Mani (I Am the Defender of the Jungle, 2003) and Los hijos del jaguar (2012). They have earned international acclaim, winning top honors at festivals such as the Anaconda Award Festival and the National Geographic All Roads Film Festival.

Helena from Sarayaku marks Gualinga’s first feature-length documentary. Deeply personal and profoundly moving, the film follows the story of Helena Gualinga, a young Indigenous activist carrying the legacy of resistance to the world stage. Through intimate storytelling and powerful imagery, Helena from Sarayaku offers a rare, inside perspective on the ongoing fight to protect the Amazon and preserve Indigenous culture.

Today, Eriberto Gualinga continues to use his art as a form of resistance. He creates films that challenge environmental injustice and advocate for Indigenous sovereignty. His work remains a crucial voice in the global movement to save the Amazon rainforest.