Folil Trafün (Joining Roots) is a showcase of Indigenous and Afro-diaspora films from Latin America (with English subtitles), followed by dialogues to deepen understanding of the films and their relationship with local realities. UBC Connects at Robson Square will be hosting the main showcase of this event, featuring several short films for adults and children, a feature length film, discussions, as well as a community dinner served by Salishan Catering.

The films and subsequent conversations will be framed on themes like Indigenous and Afro-descent identities, migration, Mother Nature, and complex relationships between industry and Indigenous communities. Special attention will be given to how communities work towards territorial sovereignty.

The project brings together three main partners: Ficwallmapu, an Indigenous and Latinx collective that puts on a yearly film festival and various smaller film events in the Wallmapu; Vancouver Latin American Cultural Centre, a local hub for both Latinx and non-Latinx residents to experience Latin American arts and culture; and the Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (JEDI) team from the UBC Faculty of Forestry, a leading forestry school globally.

For more information on other events of this festival, visit the main event webpage here.

Event Schedule

1:30 PM Doors open

2:00 PM Program begins, welcoming remarks

2:15 PM Short film and documentary screenings, followed by discussion

5:00 PM Community dinner, served by Salishan Catering

6:15 PM Feature film screening, followed by discussion

8:00 PM Program end

Theatre Screenings

Folil (Feature film – 2020)
Folil, root in Mapuzungun, the language of the Mapuche; is an invitation to question humanity’s relationship with nature, the way we think about it and inhabit it. Malen and Nawel, young Mapuche folks belonging to the communities of Pucura and Traitraico, in southern Chile, face the difficulty of protecting the forest in order to continue collecting wild mushrooms, their food and medicine. It is the territory itself and the affected Mapuche communities that, through this film, make their problems known to the world, where the languages of nature face the paradoxes of development.

Energía de los Pueblos (Documentary – 2020)
In Mexico and Guatemala, energy production is carried out to the detriment of the people through privatization, the dispossession of natural resources and the violent imposition of power plants to satisfy a growing industrial demand. Faced with megaprojects that threaten their territories and ways of life, rural and urban communities fighting for a dignified life made the commitment to produce their own electricity. Through the voices of those who walk towards fair, popular and sustainable energy models, the documentary allows us to discover experiences that challenge the system, considering energy as a common good and a right for everyone.

Kapaemahu (Short – 2020)
Long ago, four extraordinary individuals of masculine and feminine spirit brought the healing arts of Tahiti to Hawaii. Beloved by the people for their gentle ways and miraculous cures, they imbued four giant rocks with their powers.

Tita, tejedoras de raíces (Short – 2018)
Tita, who belongs to the Afro-Mexican community of Chacahua, on the Costa Chica of Oaxaca, supports her family through fishing. She is a strong woman who seeks opportunities to improve themselves on a personal level and thus be able to contribute to the well-being of their environment.

Mama para (Short – 2020)
In a remote Peruvian city lives Honorata Vilca, an ‘illiterate’ woman of Quechua descent who has been selling candy for more than 20 years. A story of effort and strength to sustain everyday life. The gray and the rain will cry to the sky itself.

Pichikeche (Children’s) Screenings

Muu Palaa (Short – 2020)
Ina and Siruma, two girls from the Gunadule (Urabá Antioqueño) and Wayuu (Guajira) ancestral cultures, accompany their grandmothers Nana Dummad and Manna, in their daily activities while learning their knowledge. Curious about the presence and the songs of Werwel and Ulepala (representative birds in the laws of origin of their cultures), Ina and Siruma get lost while they are guided to a space unknown to them, in which they find themselves on a dream trip with Muu (dulegaya) Palaa (wayuunaiki), the Ocean grandmother.