Lunch with Darikiken
Interview with Hugo Pepper Guevara, director of Darikiken
What did you want to explore with this child’s journey through the forest? Who or what inspired you to tell his story?
My idea about a child in the jungle was to show the great connection and coexistence between the natives and the Amazon, a balance that is a delicate and thin line which is easy to break with the big changes that are happening in the rainforest. I call them dangers, but I mean “development”, which is not always real development for all, it can bring me economic benefits if I dedicate myself to the logging or mining in the jungle for example, but not for communities: they lose their lands, they are taken to be exploited, or we simply make them dependent on a monetary system that they did not needed before. And the only thing we are achieving is that they lose their native culture and languages. A little kid is curious, innocent, he doesn’t know anything about the outside world, so it is a huge impact in his life to see these changes, and through him it is easier to approach this reality, we get more involved with him, we feel his fears and feelings. We also perceive the harmony between the child and the jungle, he is in his environment, where an ant, a snake, the howls of the monkeys swinging on the trees are normal for him. And at some point this breaks down, apparently an external danger has entered the jungle. From that moment he feels disoriented and a little lost in his own home and seeks help to understand what is happening. This way we understand more about the importance of their spirituality in their lives, and that of nature, which they consider a living being full of spirits that protect them. I believe that this theme has an anthropological connotation, but it has always been treated in a documentary way and I wanted to impregnate fiction to achieve something more poetic, deep and tackle this issue in a subtle way.
Who or what inspired you to tell his story?
Everything is related to my father, who started tourism 40 years ago, which is also ecological and sustainable, in this protected area called the Manu National Park, one of the places with the greatest diversity of flora and fauna in the world – in addition to all the indigenous communities that inhabit this park. He took me from a very young age to the jungle, and I think his relaxed character allowed me to feel free in that place, to pick up stones, approach animals, get into the river, interact with people, although I am very shy. It was always another world for me, where laws and coexistence are very different. So strong was my impression that throughout my life I have continued going to this area of the Amazon, to learn more about its people, and they are the ones who inspired me to make this short film.
Tell us more about your perception and experience of travelling through the Amazonian rainforest.
I have been coming and going from the jungle for 30 years, and one notices the changes, the villages grow, and new roads have made entering into the jungle easier. But despite the existence of protected areas, the illegal exploitation of their natural resources could not be prevented, and it is devastating. Despite everything, most of the jungle is still virgin, and it is one of the few places you can find that has not changed in thousands of years. Everything has a balance in this place. The bats eat fruit and throw seeds that grow and become new plants, the ants cut their leaves to feed a worm that provides them with a kind of milk to feed their larvae, the anteater feeds on the ants, and at the same time the jaguar feeds on it, when the Jaguar dies, many birds and insects feed from it, including ants…
What was it like shooting in the forest?
It was hard. Very hard. First two scouting travels with two of my best friends, who are lawyers, and it was their first experience in the jungle. It’s not safe to go alone. During the shooting, I made many mistakes, because of my lack of experience of filming in a place like this. I thought that bringing the least amount of people would be the best option. In budgetary matters it is, but for technical matters it was a big mistake. And even if you don’t believe it, the big difference, and who made everything possible in a huge way, was the cook, Oscar. He made it possible for us to meet the deadlines. Something I really appreciate it is that the people of the villages and the Machiguenga community helped us at all times. Knowing these people for years made it possible to film almost everything we set out to do. We were able to reach places of difficult access and have local guides in every moment. That is why I say that it is a short film about them, and that they themselves are the ones who made it possible. Alberto, the shaman character, is a real one, and also the head of the community, and he gave us many recommendations.
How easy was it to cast a native Machiguenga actor?
I knew I had to be very effective and fast choosing one, but for my bad luck, on my first trip, I arrived on a weekend and all the kids were working in their land with their parents. The second time, everyone had traveled to another community in a kind of cultural exchange for three days. That worried me a lot because I could not go to the jungle any time. And it’s impossible to notify if I am going, because they don’t have phones. So I asked the school teacher to select a small group of children who he believed had acting skills and a good attitude. On my third trip, I went alone and met two cousins, one of them was José Luis, my protagonist. I chose him because he immediately caught what I wanted to do with him, he felt confident and naturally understood many film codes.
The film is very poetic and contemplative. Tell us more about your style of filmmaking. What do you wish to explore next?
I think I didn’t dare to make my own movie before because I didn’t feel very comfortable with my style in Buenos Aires, which is where I studied film direction and worked in other people’s movies. An urban area, I think, did not encourage me to film my way; however, filming in my own country, in the Andes or in the jungle was perfect for me, I get impressed every day with people, their traditions, those villages that live with other customs, and that makes me more contemplative and I am sure that I can transmit all those sensations to other people. But I think you can achieve a very interesting interaction between the movie and the viewer, if you start thinking about what the Machiguenga child is feeling and thinking. Not knowing much about this jungle culture make people look for their own interpretation. I don’t like to be to obvious, I enjoy seeing images where at first sight nothing seems to happen, but in reality, they say it all, and if you take your time, you can discover many things.
Are there any works of art or films that have inspired you?
Firstly, all the natives in the Amazon inspired me, especially this community. Secondly, the words of my grand-uncle who was a filmmaker, Luis Figueroa, who made the first movie in Quechua many years ago, as well as many other films about the Peruvian culture. About fifteen years ago I asked him: “Why do you film natives from Peru instead of commercial and “cool” movies?”. He said: “Because it is our culture and we are not proud of it, when people come to the Andes, they can’t believe that this little people made all this amazing Inca citadels, and all this huge empire. And you know why? Because they saw us on TV, movies, magazines, like little and poor men, living and suffering in the Andes, and one of the reasons is that the people with the camera film them on tilt down position. But my logic and my art is to put the camera on tilt up, seeing from the floor to the Andean people, and you will see how big and strong they are, with thick legs, long arms, with a beautiful color skin, beautiful nose with big nostrils to breathe better, and the dark hair. That way it is possible to believe that we built all these structures, roads and culture. And the we are capable to do more amazing things”. Thirdly, I felt very influenced by some scenes by some directors, to cite some, Stellecht Licht by Reygadas – which has perhaps the most beautiful beginning of a movie with dawn; the Asian dance scenes from Ron Fricke’s Samsara; the beginning of The Wrath of God, by Herzog.
Would you say that the short film format has given you any particular freedom?
I think making a short film gave me the opportunity to make my first film in a independent way and also in a place with difficult access that probably would be impossible for me if I decided to make a movie and bring a crew of 30 people. It also allowed me to tell a story in a short time and gain experience and confidence to do something better and riskier next time.
