JATUN RUMI, Ecuador. High in the Ecuadorian Andes mountains, a group of young Otavalo indigenous people are using anime to inspire pride in their ancient culture and language, especially among Otavalo children.
They produced an animated short film called “We Are Aya,” which follows the adventures of Aya, the mythical Otavalo warrior, and other characters as they interact under the watchful eye of the condor, an iconic bird for indigenous Andean cultures that symbolizes strength and energy.
Inspired by the work of the legendary Japanese animator. Hayao MiyazakiThe story takes place in the mountains of Imbabura, a province in the northern Andes that is home to the Otavalo people, famous for their crafts and textiles.
Tupac Amaru, director and producer of the 9-minute film, said the film is part of an effort to preserve the Otavalo customs and language, which have begun to erode as globalization has created a more interconnected world and influenced their culture.
His people were faced with two options: “isolate (from the world) and defend our culture, language, spirituality and dress, or stand tall and resist,” Amaru said.
Film from 12 Quechua speaker The characters are the first step toward getting Otavalo children to appreciate their heritage, he said. Indigenous themes have been explored before in short and feature films produced in Peru and Ecuador, but most of these films featured Hispanic characters.
“Quechua is the vibration that gives meaning to existence, and without language, the meaning of life and our energy ends,” Amaru said.
“Our children no longer know Quechua,” which means they have lost a tool of communication and are “losing their sense of belonging, their energy,” he added.
Quechua, an indigenous language belonging to the Quechua language family, is primarily spoken in Ecuador.
Yarik Sisa, the film's creative manager, said the story is inspired by ancient customs that have endured through time, including the transfer of musical instruments to energy points on the earth the night before a holiday so that the instruments will be given a “soul.”
The film also features characters such as Ayaruku, who personifies the indomitable spirit; Ayava, the personification of the sublime and feminine; and Ayaku, a child symbolizing tenderness.
These characters play their traditional instruments and stomp their feet in a rhythmic dance as they enter a dark cave symbolizing globalization, where the spirits give them a mission to become the new seeds of their people.
The film then shows an Aboriginal grandfather talking to his granddaughter, who promises her eldest that she will become a woman strong as a rock and a protector of their culture. Her grandfather then asks her to never stray from this path.
The “We Aya” team hopes to release more films and even video games in Quechua in the coming years, and even enter the international video game market with games “made by Quichuas in a Quechua environment,” said Malkik Anrango, the film's creative director.
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This version has been updated to correct the name of the film's creative director to Malkik Anrango.
