Helena from Sarayaku

Eriberto Gualinga / Ecuador / 2022 / 80 min
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  • IndiFest Barcelona Indigenous Film Festival

  • Ecuadorian Film Fest in New York

  • Smithsonian's Mother Tongue Film Festival

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Synopsis

Spanish with English subtitles

With Helena Gualinga

Traveling between her life in Finland and her mother’s homeland deep in the rainforests of Ecuador, 17-year-old Helena Gualinga yearns to protect her indigenous community from extractive development and the repercussions of climate change.

Her story highlights the efforts of the Kichwa people of Sarayaku to recognize the Amazon rainforest as a “Kawsak Sacha – Living Jungle”. The “Living Jungle” is both a cultural philosophy and a proposal that states the rainforest is not a resource to be used, but a living entity in need of protection.

With the help of her Sarayaku elders’ wisdom, Helena sets out on a journey to educate the world about the importance of conserving the Amazon rainforest, participating in climate marches, and giving speeches about indigenous sovereignty.

A story of perseverance and resilience, the film is an ode to indigenous communities striving to preserve their culture as they face the consequences of a globalized world and the hastening effects of climate change.

Related Subjects
About the Director

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.

Eriberto Gualinga - Helena from Sarayuko

Available for Q&As, Masterclasses, and workshops upon request, in Spanish.
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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.

Press

“Helena Gualinga is a voice for indigenous communities in the fight against climate change. ” – Sophie Foggin, Latin America Reports

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