“Remarkable...
RUNA SIMI brings together
self-expression and place.”
”
RUNA SIMI
A film by Augusto Zegarra
(Peru, 2025, 81 min. In Quechua and Spanish with English subtitles)
Fernando Valencia, a 29-year-old voice artist from Cusco, Peru, is an Indigenous activist, painter, and devoted single father. Known for his uncanny ability to voice multiple characters, he 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 spirited eight-year-old son, Dylan. 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 his personal mission into a powerful call for language justice and cultural reclamation
Friday, November 6 — Thursday, November 12
Laemmle Monica Film Center
1332 2nd Street, Santa Monica, CA / (310) 478-3836
For tickets and more information visit: https://www.laemmle.com/film/runa-simi
Wednesday, November 11, 7pm
Maysles Cinema
343 Lenox Ave. / Malcolm X Blvd., New York City
For tickets and more information visit: https://www.maysles.org/calendar/runa-simi
Past Screenings:
Friday, August 28 — Thursday, September 3
DCTV’s Firehouse Cinema
87 Lafayette Street, New York City / (212) 966-4510
For tickets and more information visit: https://www.dctvny.org/s/firehouse-film/
Watch the trailer:
