Global Initiatives: Peru: Videos

This is a film about Mama Irene, a remarkable 86-year-old woman Shaman (healer) from Peru who draws upon indigenous knowledge and traditions in danger of being lost forever. Yet her craft is based primarily on her own intuition: "Spirits have told me in my dreams how to proceed." The documentary follows Mama Irene in her everyday life, highlighting her healing methods and passion to serve each patient who knocks on her door: from local women who travel hours or days by foot through the Andes, to a medical doctor from India seeking a cure for illness that Western medicine had failed to help. We accompany Mama Irene on ancient spiritual ceremonies such as the Snow Star Festival, where thousands of pilgrims gather in Sinakara Valley high in the Peruvian Andes to honor the local glacier and Lord Quylluritj'i. The film depicts Mama Irene's secret healing practices, never before filmed. Yet this film is not only a vital document of endangered wisdom; it is also a story about woman empowerment.

In the verdant, lush jungles of the Amazon, a tribe of Indigenous people has lived in harmony with their surroundings for millennia. The Shipibo tribe has learned the secrets of the Earth, honing their knowledge to transform the native flora into powerful medicines that can cure any sickness. But their peaceful existence is threatened. The outside world has discovered the valuable treasures of their land - the rich minerals, the unique wildlife, and the breathtaking landscape are all at risk. As the knowledge grows, so does the threat of an ancient culture dissolving. The tribe must fight to protect their way of life and preserve the centuries-old knowledge of their healing practices.

In My Americas, Mexican American hosts Roberto Alcaraz and Leticia Vásquez travel into the rich cultural and spiritual life of Latin America in search of their heritage. In this program, Roberto travels the Inca Empire capital to witness the march of saints' statues at the feast of Corpus Christi. A local historian tells him that the Quechua people carried out the same ritual with their mummified, former rulers long before the arrival of Christianity. He then sets off to the Sacred Valley of the Inca, encountering hillside agricultural terraces, ancient temples, and an original Inca dwelling that still houses a Quechua family. He visits Machu Picchu, the mysterious city situated between two sacred mountains, and participates in a shaman cleansing ceremony before the last leg of his journey.

In this episode of Along the Inca Trail, host Karin Muller begins the last leg of her journey in the town of Ollantaytambo, where she competes in an amateur bullfight. Escaping with a cracked rib, she makes her way to Machu Picchu, a city of magnificent buildings abandoned long ago and enclosed by jungle. Moving on to Cuzco and then into the center of Bolivia, Karin quenches her thirst for knowledge of ancient Inca civilization through her interactions with the areas' modern-day inhabitants. In Oruro, she participates as a dancer in the second largest festival in all of South America. As usual, unanticipated adventures flavor Karin's exploration of the Inca road, making hers an entertaining and unforgettable tale.