Areo Peña is the chief of the Wounaan tribe, a peaceful community based in the Darien rainforest, on the border between Panama and Colombia.
The tribe faces a pressing crisis: the jungle is under threat from illegal loggers, drug traffickers, cattle ranchers, miners and a government that refuses to recognise the Wounaan’s territorial rights.
When Areo discovers that, due to the indiscriminate felling of trees, the sacred kokorrdit bird is no longer to be seen in the area, he decides to set out on a journey to find it, in the hope of restoring the spiritual balance of the community. But Areo will not be travelling alone: he will be accompanied by Ayned, a rebellious teenager who lives in the city, cares only about her mobile phone and is estranged from the traditions of her people. The journey will not be easy: they will have to cross, on foot and by river, one of the most dangerous areas in the world and face countless natural and, above all, human threats.
Amidst illegal migrants and demobilised guerrillas, amidst poisonous snakes and black-market traders, Areo and Ayned will set out in search of the sacred bird and must learn to accept their differences and live together: after all, perhaps they are not as different as they think.
The dance of the Kokorrdit
Guido Bilbao
Guido Bilbao was born in Argentina and has lived in Panama for 20 years. Co directed documentary reports for TV on climate change and indigenous culture in Latin America for Al Jazeera’s People and Power -The valley of the damned 2012, The Heat of meat 2023m etc-. His first feature length documentary, Time to Fall in Love, was screened at the Lincoln Center in New York and at the United Nations headquarters. He participated in more than 20 festivals around the world. It was released in commercial theaters in Panama and was acquired by Witness from Al Jazeera
Elio B Cunampio
My name is Elio Barrigón Cunapio; I am an indigenous filmmaker from the Emberá people. I live in the community of Piriatí, in the Darien jungle. As a visual artist, I began by practising body painting, which lies at the heart of indigenous rituals. I began filming with the aim of documenting my community’s experiences and cultural revival. My first short documentary, *Kipara*, which I made as part of workshops organised by the international organisation IF NOT US THEN
WHO, focused on body painting. I also studied at the Anexa Film School in Panama City.
You can view my work on Instagram @kiparapiriati
WHO, focused on body painting. I also studied at the Anexa Film School in Panama City.
You can view my work on Instagram @kiparapiriati
