• FICCI Cartagena International Film Festival

    Best Community TV Production
  • Film and Video Festival Comuna 13 The Other Story

    Best Documentary
  • The Ojo al Sancocho Int'l Festival

    Domestic Documentary Honorable Mention
  • Indigenous Peoples Film Festival

    Special Award Moises Huentalaf Franja
  • Afro Ananse Film Festival

    Best Community Documentary
Pricing
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Spanish with English subtitles

Eight hours from the bustling urban center of Buenaventura lies the remote village of Juntas de Yurumanguí, an Afro-descendant community that has maintained autonomy over its religious practices for generations. Each year, the community celebrates Holy Week, an event that transcends the boundaries of conventional clerical authority. Here, the blend of Catholicism and indigenous spiritual elements creates a unique form of worship, reflecting the rich syncretic traditions passed down through centuries of resistance.

This documentary not only captures the profound spiritual significance of these ceremonies but also serves as a window into the community’s struggle for sovereignty in the face of historical and social pressures. Scholars of religious studies, African diaspora studies, and post-colonialism will find this work an invaluable resource in understanding how marginalized communities navigate the complexities of faith, autonomy, and identity in a post-colonial world.

Press

“'Matachindé' portrays the tradition with which a small community in the Colombian Pacific region resists the westernization of their African traditions.”El País Colombia

About the Director

Víctor Alexander Palacios graduated from Universidad del Valle in Communication and completed a Master’s Degree in Creative Documentary in 2011 from the Autonomous University of Barcelona. He co-founded MEJODA, directing over 20 audiovisual projects. Notable works include Con los Ojos del Distrito (2006) and De Barrio en Barrio (2007). Palacios has won numerous awards for his community media work, including scholarships and grants from organizations like the Ministry of Culture of Colombia. He directed the Relatos Pacíficos Documentary Exhibition and serves as a programmer for Distribuidora Distrito Pacífico, bringing community films to screens across Colombia.