Mission Kipi

(Misión Kipi)

Sonaly Tuesta / Peru / 2024 / 81 min
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  • Pérou Pacha Paris Peruvian Film Festival

  • Voces Contra el Silencio Human Rights Film Festival

  • Tegernsee International Mountain Film Festival

  • Women Film Festival

  • FEMCINE

  • Mountain Film Festival

  • INKAFEST

  • Cine+Video Indígena Festival

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Spanish and Quechua with English subtitles

With Walter Velásquez, Kipi, Isabel Ledesma, Raquel Montes, Walter Garrido

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Peruvian teacher Walter Velásquez faced the daunting challenge of ensuring his students in remote, internet-deprived communities could continue their education. His innovative solution was Kipi, a Quechua-speaking girl robot built from recycled computer parts to serve as his teaching assistant. Kipi traveled with Velásquez to reach children who had dropped out of school, particularly girls, who are often the first to be removed from classrooms in rural areas due to economic and cultural pressures.

What began as a temporary fix evolved into a transformative educational movement. Kipi not only reignited children’s interest in learning but also inspired families to prioritize education for their daughters. The initiative grew from 30 students to 500 across seven schools, proving that resilience and creativity can overcome even the most challenging circumstances. Directed by Sonaly Tuesta, Mission Kipi follows this extraordinary journey through Peru’s Andean highlands and the conflict-ridden Apurímac, Ene, and Mantaro River Valley (VRAEM), showcasing how one teacher’s determination and a robot girl’s charm are breaking barriers and reshaping the future of education in marginalized communities.

Press

“Mission Kipi is entertaining and, above all, educational. This aspect works from an informative perspective without becoming a self-indulgent guide to self-exploration or a moral lesson. It is a story of perseverance that leaves little room for debate. Velásquez’s pedagogical essence is portrayed without exaggeration, sharing the spotlight with children who come to see education as a tool for social empowerment.” – Raúl Ortiz, Gestión

About the Director
Sonaly Tuesta is a Peruvian documentary filmmaker, screenwriter, film director, film producer, journalist, television host, and university professor. She is also a regular columnist for the newspaper La República. In 2015, she was recognized as a Distinguished Personality of Culture by the Ministry of Culture of Peru. She also served as the Deputy Minister of Cultural Heritage and Cultural Industries of Peru from 2021-2022.

Tuesta was the host of the cultural program Costumbres for 20 years. She traveled with the show to remote areas to document local traditions, festivals, and oral histories. Her work not only highlighted the richness of Peru’s intangible cultural heritage but also gave a voice to underrepresented communities.

In 2021, Tuesta produced the three-episode documentary series Sabiduría Madre, which explored indigenous knowledge systems. In 2023, she directed Misión Kipi, a documentary that focused on the creation of Peru’s first educational robot in Colcabamba during the COVID-19 pandemic. This film underscored her commitment to blending cultural storytelling with contemporary issues like education and innovation. Premiering in Peruvian cinemas in 2024, it further solidified her reputation as a filmmaker who bridges tradition and modernity.

Notes on Film

“I met Walter Velásquez through social networks. The image was powerful: a teacher who invited a female robot to go to the top of the hill and teach his students. That got me excited. I managed to contact him and I did a short interview for my Facebook Live.

However, what was decisive in putting together a project and starting with the adventure of the film, was that Kipi was not a robot but a female robot…even in many communities in Peru, it is the boys who prioritize going to school. Or, to put it another way, when it comes to deciding who leaves school, it is the girls who are chosen. That is why it is important to emphasize that Kipi inspires, she is a girl with a lot of knowledge who continues to learn.

And something else: when I learned that Walter had created Kipi in Colcabamba (Tayacaja, Huancavelica) I went back to 2004, 2005 when I visited this land many times to record their festivities, and this opportunity was like I had planned to return and resume the connections.”

– Sonaly Tuesta, Director

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