Who’s Peruvian? Film “Soy Andina” documents two dancers’ search for identity
Who is Peruvian? Who is Andean?
Can a Peruvian dancer who’s made a new life in New York City return after 15 years to her remote hometown in the Andes to reclaim her heritage?
Can a young American of mixed Peruvian and Puerto Rican heritage find her “inner Andina” (as I like to call it) by studying folkloric dance techniques in towns throughout Peru?
These questions and more are raised in Soy Andina (“I Am Andean”), a full-length documentary film in English and Spanish by American director Mitch Teplitsky.
The movie follows two the journeys of two dancers, Nelida, from the Peruvian highlands, and Cynthia, from Queens, New York, as they live out their dreams of (re)connecting with their Andeans roots.
The film’s approach to these questions is never polemic, prefering instead to let viewers make up their own minds as to the “authenticity” of each dancer’s proclaimed or evolving identity.
This open-endedness makes SOY ANDINA a pleasure to watch. It also doesn’t hurt that Nelida and Cynthia are strong dancers and each is charismatic in her own way: Nelida with a calm sense of purpose (to host her town’s annual fiesta) and Cynthia with an exubertant desire to immerse herself in new experiences and to test her abilities.
SOY ANDINA is currently being screened in venues in both Peru and the United States. Chances are that if you live in a large city in either country, you’ll have a chance to see the film. I highly recommend it.
Here are some upcoming screenings:
Thu, Oct 23, 7pm | HUARAZ, PERU
Co-presented by InkaFest and HotelAndino
Wed, Nov 5, 6:30pm | LIMA, PERU
South American Explorers Club, Miraflores
Thurs, Nov 20, 10 am | SAN FRANCISCO, CA
Visual Anthropology conference/film festival
To learn more about SOY ANDINA, to view clips and to read viewers’ testimonies, click here or visit http://www.soyandina.com.
Barbara
I am an American writer who lived in Lima for seven years (2007-2014), where I covered Andean traditions, melting glaciers and daily life in the capital for Miami Herald, MSNBC and Huffington Post. I now live and work in northern Florida where I champion climate change advocacy and compassionate, affordable eldercare.
6 Comments
Peruanista
Barbara, I have some videos about the premiere of SOY ANDINA in DC: first reactions, Peruvian Americans talk about cultural and racial identity, and racial differences in Peru / also Americans who love Peru talk about the film, and I have a brief interview with Cynthia Paniagua, a rising star. Check it out:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pfg2I907lXk
Mitch Teplitsky
Thank you Barbara! I really like this review. I’m going to link from our site and on the next newsletter. DVD will go on sale any day too, look for announcement….Mitch (from Florida,your old state, consumption still raging here!)
Barb
You’re welcome, Mitch. Glad to spread the word about your ‘baby.’
Oh, and while you’re in Florida, can you pick up something for me in Target? And Tuesday Morning? And TJ Max? And…..?
(old habits/addictions die hard…)
el "kibitzer"
barb,
here’s another peruvian film in the us of a:THE GIANTS, ALCIBIADES AND THE STONE FORREST / LOS GIGANTES, ALCIBIADES Y EL BOSQUE DE PIEDRA
http://www.cortocircuito.us/2008/giantspopup.html
Barb
El Kibitzer, Thanks for bringing my attention to this film. It is beautiful and mysterious and touches on something deeply Peruvian — the people’s love for and understanding of ancient stones. I don’t quite get this idea of a bunch of rocks being a “stone forest” (I think the metaphor stretches things a bit), but the rock formations that Alcibiades cares for are truly magnificent.
I saw the entire 15-minute film on this link:
http://en.con-can.com/watch/preview.php?id=20085043
Miguel Fuentes
Interesting. But, to be honest, anyone can be Peruvian today! Peruvians come from so many different ethnic and racial backgrounds. However, there are many people who have amerindian descent and Spanish descent still.