“The Roots Awaken” is a documentary film that reveals how diverse indigenous communities from the Andes Mountains to the Amazon rainforest of Ecuador are united at heart through their prayer to protect their land and maintain their culture in a globalized world. The film is a hopeful story about how indigenous communities — despite their differences in traditions — are connected to each other through their sacred relationship with nature.
Told through the narration of a young woman, the film begins as people from South to North America gather together at the “Kumbre Konciencia Global,” which takes place on an ancient pyramid located on 0’0”, Cochasqui, Ecuador. This gathering was an assembly to create a culture of peace surrounding the topics of ancestral medicine, technology, and nature. From the gathering, we follow the ceremonies of each community as they pray to maintain their culture and sacred traditions in the face of globalization and to resist big companies in protection of their territory.
In this increasingly fast paced world, how do the elders pass on their ancient wisdom to the youth? From Ayahuasca ceremonies in the depths of the Amazon Rainforest, to protests using music in the streets of Quito, the film explores the importance of prayer in the presence of culture.
“The Roots Awaken” was made in collaboration with twelve indigenous communities in the country of Ecuador through a process of community cinema, where the individuals in the film participated in the production. The aim of the film is support the indigenous communities that co-created the film and their movement to maintain their ancestral lands and cultures through new collaborative initiatives. Part of the proceeds from the film will go directly to building an educational center in the Amazon rainforest for international guests to come and learn about medicinal plants and ancestral cultures.
Join us for a special free premiere of “The Roots Awaken” and a Q&A with the film’s director Kumiko Hayashi.
This free screening was made possible with the generous support of Adele Sands.