Sapara Clothing: A Tradition in Danger

For centuries, the Sapara people of the Ecuadorian Amazon made their clothes from the resistant and natural fabric that the forest grows for them. As people have become more used to commercial clothing, this tradition has been increasingly neglected.

By stripping the bark from the tree and beating it to soften the fibres, they tame the hard cortex of the llanchama tree and transform it into a textile material. It seems simple but requires a team of people and several days of work to develop this product that is currently undervalued in the market.

Arturo Santi from the Jandiayaku community, inheritor of this millenary knowledge, passes it on to young people so that they can preserve this ancient technique that may offer a sustainable alternative for the future and exemplifies their community's historic and deep connection to their forest home.

  • Yanda Montahuano
    Director
  • Samanta Castro
    Director
  • Yanda Montahuano
    Producer
  • Roberto Santi
    Producer
  • Samanta Castro
    Cameraperson
  • Yanda Montahuano
    Cameraperson
  • Samanta Castro
    Editor
  • Lesley Castro
    Audio Post-production
  • Alvaro Barreiro
    Audio Post-production
  • Arturo Santi
    Key Cast
  • Project Type:
    Documentary, Short
  • Runtime:
    10 minutes 9 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    January 28, 2019
  • Country of Origin:
    Ecuador
  • Country of Filming:
    Ecuador
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Yanda Montahuano, Samanta Castro

Yanda Montahuano: Yanda is a filmmaker of the Sapara indigenous people. He was born in the community of Llanchama Cocha, Pastaza province, in the deep Ecuadorian Amazon and currently lives in the city of Puyo, where he works as the head of communications for the Sapara people.

"Thanks to the knowledge of my people and our struggle, we have visited many countries speaking about how our planet, our cultures are disappearing and being destroyed by oil and mining companies. I am a ‘Digital Spearhead’ communicator from the great Amazon and on this journey I have learnt to edit videos, use a camera, make radio programmes, etc. We are the new carers of the planet, the spokespeople of the new generation which will come to continue caring for the last which remains of Nature."

Samanta Castro: Woman, hiker, independent journalist, self-taught filmmaker, activist in defence of the life of Pachamama.

“I believe in communication as an act of resistance that promotes the sharing of knowledge and brings from its space to revitalize the connection between human beings and Mother Earth; using the written word, photography and audiovisual as a means of expression specific to each village.”

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