“LEUFU”, a short film about Mapuche people and their rivers

LEUFU from Native Spirit on Vimeo.

A Native Spirit Production / 36mins / Mapuche People / Chile/UK

In the Cordillera of the Andes, amidst a chain of volcanic peaks, Mapuche communities are standing up to defend their river – a source of life and spirituality – from yet another crime against nature. Norwegian company SN Power plans to build a hydroelectric power station, taking the water of 9 main rivers, right in the middle of the Williche-Mapuche region, threatening the future of local indigenous communities. The film follows the community of Rupumeika as they struggle to stop this multinational, ultimately trying to annihilate them from their territory in the name of “renewable energy” and “progress”.

This short film is the first part in a series which will follow the situation of communities in the Williche region. This film is a Native Spirit Foundation project, facilitating equipment and audio-visual training to indigenous communities.

“For a long time it hasn’t been us who have spoken about ourselves. So now from our point of view we tell our history, our cosmology; indigenous film and video presents a different perspective one removed from consumerism and the canon of Hollywood cinema” says Freddy Treuquil, indigenous Mapuche and founder of Native Spirit.