Spirit Songs
A Musical Taxonomy of the Amazon
In our last trip to Peru we recorded interviews and healing ceremonies with 11 accomplished shaman across four tribes in Loreto, Peru and two communities in the path of the Inter-Oceanic Highway in the southeast state of Madre de Dios, Peru. We have published our research on Amazonian spiritual herbalism through the global news network, Current and LA Yoga Magazine (see below).
Spirit Songs is seeking funding to create the next installment of our feature documentary and archive. We are fiscally sponsored by Documentary Educational Resource and all donations are tax deductible. To donate go to der.org/donate and look for Spirit Songs: A Musical Taxonomy of the Amazon.
**DONATE YOUR USED VIDEO GEAR TO AN AMAZON JOURNALIST!**
Any cameras, tapes, microphones etc. will be sent directly to Shipibo media activist and 2007 Goldman Award winner, Julio Cusurichi. Cusurichi touts information as the new weapon indigenous can use to fight for economic, social, and environmental justice. Email to make your donation.
This video co production of Inner Mission Productions and veteran journalist, Sam Slovick, accompanied the feature story by Slovick in LA Yoga Magazine, October 2009.
World-renowned ethnobotanist, Jim Duke, measures herbs against pharmaceuticals and reflects on a lifetime of plant medicine research, including his work with the U.S.D.A. and traditional healers of the Amazon.
The Raramuri, also called Tarahumara by outsiders are some of the last people in North America who continue to live a traditional, subsistence way of life. One of the most remote Raramuri communities in the Sierra Madre is Choreachi. Nestled deep in the canyons, surrounded by old-growth forest, Choreachi is one of the most traditional indigenous communities in North America. It is also one of the most endangered.
Icaros: Spirit Songs of the Amazon
Traditional Amazonian healers or curanderos, communicate with plants through lullabies, known as Icaros. These songs have been described as the "quintessence of shamanic power."
Knock Knock, America: A Story of Refugee Teens in St. Louis
This feature documentary follows six IPG members through their daily lives and the production of their original play "Big Tree." Joseph strives to get into college and return to his country with a degree. Junior gets lost in the poor communication of the city's justice system. Not understanding the customs and language can create a barricade that some of them masterfully hurdle over, while others get tangled in the red tape.
Look for tour dates and other info here.
A collaboration of inner mission productions and loaf-i productions. FFFF is a traveling media arts festival. Events include: shorts and features across all genres, live music and multimedia performance, and installation. We are a continuously touring festival without beginnings or endings.
For tour info click here.
At Highest Risk: Maternal Healthcare in the High Peruvian Andes
The solutions to South America's second highest maternal death rates are not easy when both the Andean traditions and international political pressure are so strong. ĘPeru has one of the highest proportions of indigenous inhabitants in the Americas, roughly 50 percent.
The U.S. government commissioned Rebecca Rivas to research maternal health care in the high Peruvian Andes. The question that guided her study was: is there a bridge between traditional and institutional birth?
For more information click here