Runa Simi, the debut documentary feature by Peruvian filmmaker Augusto Zegarra, will have its world premiere in the Documentary Competition at the 24th edition of the Tribeca Festival (June 5–15) in New York City, marking the first time a Peruvian documentary has ever competed at the festival.
The film will have its European premiere in the Youth Jury Award competition at the 32nd Sheffield DocFest (June 18–23) in the UK, followed by its Latin American premiere in the Ibero-American Documentary competition at the 40th Guadalajara Film Festival (June 6–14) in Mexico.
Executive produced by Benjamin and Peter Bratt, this joyful film follows the story of Fernando Valencia, a 29-year-old voice artist from Cusco in the Peruvian Andes, who is an Indigenous activist, painter, and devoted single father to Dylan, his spirited eight-year-old son.
Known for his uncanny ability to voice multiple characters, Fernando launched Quechua Clips—a viral project that reimagines iconic animated scenes in Quechua, the ancestral language of the Incas, also known as Runa Simi. The response was overwhelming: millions of Quechua speakers hungry for stories in their own language.
Fueled by this groundswell of support, Fernando sets his sights on an ambitious and quixotic dream—to dub Disney’s 1994 classic The Lion King into Quechua, with the help of his energetic son. Armed with a homemade studio and relentless resolve, Fernando navigates countless ups and downs, facing rejection, setbacks, and self-doubt. Yet through it all, his determination never wavers, turning a personal mission into a powerful call for language justice and cultural reclamation.
A heartwarming and stirring portrait of resilience, creativity, and cultural pride, Runa Simi underscores the urgency of preserving Indigenous languages and the transformative power of representation. With humor, heart, and unshakable resolve, Zegarra’s thought-provoking documentary offers a hopeful vision of a future where every voice matters—and every language has a place.
