IPFF26: Karuara, People of the River

By Stephanie Boyd & Miguel Araoz Cartagena
Mariluz Canaquiri says her river is more than just a body of water, it's a living being. Marañón River deep in Peru's Amazon region is home to a vast network of spirit villages ruled by Karuara, which means people of the river in Kukama-Kukamiria, Mariluz indigenous language.
Karuara's universe mirrors human society with an aquatic twist: river spirits lounge in hammocks made of boa constrictors, they smoke sardines and wear stingray hats and catfish shoes. Laughing Karuara children ride to school on giant turtles or play football with an inflated blowfish in the film's stunning hand-painted animations.
Behind their playfulness, the Karuara have powerful spirits. When a human is ill, indigenous shaman call on Karuara healers to cure their patient. Mariluz's uncle must ask the river spirits for permission before fishing or risk going hungry. The Karuara are metaphysical ecologists; they maintain the delicate balance of life in the Amazon waterways. For centuries the Kukama people have depended on their rivers and spirit protectors for survival.
Mariluz says the old ways are being forgotten and her people face cultural genocide. While foreign companies earn millions from the Amazon's resources, indigenous communities lack basic development like schools, health care and clean water. She leads a federation of Kukama women who file a ground breaking lawsuit demanding the Peruvian government recognize the Marañón River as a legal person, with rights.
In a world that puts a price tag on nature, this film takes viewers inside the magic and beauty of the Amazon region and reminds us of our sacred connection to water.

Running time: 77 min.