Sixth Mapuche-Wallmapu Indigenous Cinema Festival Takes Place Online
25 January, 2021Organised by the Mapuche of Southern Chile, self-representation is the theme of the sixth edition of the Mapuche Film and Indigenous Arts Festival, taking place between January 25 and 29, and broadcast from Temuco, Wallmapu ancestral territory of Chile’s Aurucania region.
In total, more than 50 films of 35 indigenous peoples will be available to watch at ficwallmapu.cl with a prior account at Festhome.com.
Self-representation
As the motto of this year’s festival states: ‘with the knowledge of the ancestors we will guide ourselves’. Ange Valderrama Cayuman of Ficwallmapu’s programming team highlights that every year more indigenous produced films are received. She says: “we believe that in all thematic and artistic fields related to cinema, indigenous peoples have something to say from our plural, collective and individual voice ”. The value of these achievements lies in the fact that “we seek to get away from the voices that interpret us or that mediate our reality, we are in times where the multiplicity of our lives as peoples constitutes the power of indigenous cinema.” Hence, the focus is on the self-determination of the peoples.
Indigenous Voices in Chile’s New Constitution
The festival is carried out this year in a unique historical context for Chile: the previous dictatorship constitution will be rewritten by 155 people who will make up the ‘Constituent Convention’, with 17 seats reserved for original peoples.
Despite the criticisms that can be made of the process, the festival considers that indigenous cinema contributes to the political and organizational processes of the different indigenous territories. The themes of the Official Selection “reflect that the interests of indigenous peoples are very political. The defence of the territory, for example, is the subject with the greatest interest”. To which Ange adds: “This defence includes the problems and struggles for water, food sovereignty, the revitalisation of indigenous languages and other issues, all aspects that must be present in the drafting of a new constitution for a territory where we live together as various peoples”.
Music from ‘Quechua Rap Queen’ Renata Flores
The music will come from Ayacucho, Peru, with the artist Renata Flores and her songs in Quechua, mixing Andean sounds with trap, hip-hop and pop. A style that at the age of 19 led her to be named by the New York Times as “The queen of rap in Quechua”, referring to her intense work as an activist for the teaching of her native language.
“Musical innovation is helping to show our culture, our native languages, it is a great opportunity that we should not miss out,” said Renata, adding that “thanks to music our voices are being heard more and are getting stronger.”
The opening, dialogues and closing of the festival will be exhibited live by Ficwallmapu via its social media (Facebook, Instagram, Youtube) and website.
More info at ficwallmapu.cl
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