Private Project

The Echo

In Buenaventura, the main port city on Colombia's Pacific coast, a young Afro-descendant social leader uses rap as a tool to build peace and confront violence, challenging the social complexity caused by drug trafficking and the wealth of natural resources in his environment.

  • Ángela Carabalí
    Director
    No los dejaron volver (Will They Ever Come Back?)
  • Ángela Carabalí
    Producer
    No los dejaron volver (Will They Ever Come Back?)
  • Yonatan Díaz
    Field Producer
  • Liberman Arango
    Cinematographer
  • Eloísa Arcila Fernández
    Sound Recording
  • Ángela Carabalí
    Editor
  • Melina Tupa
    Series Producer
    Miss Panama
  • Andrea Arauz
    Coordinating Series Producer
  • Sky Dylan-Robbins
    Executive Producers
  • Gabriel Diamond
    Executive Producers
  • Phil Collis
    Executive Producers
  • Will N. Miller
    Consulting Editors
  • Melina Tupa
    Consulting Editors
  • Sebastián Huergo
    Finishing Editor
  • Stellar Hawk
    Motion Graphics Designer
  • Simón Vélez
    Colorist
  • Eloísa Arcila Fernández
    Sound Mixer
  • Project Title (Original Language):
    El Eco
  • Project Type:
    Documentary, Short
  • Runtime:
    12 minutes 46 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    November 4, 2024
  • Production Budget:
    7,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    Colombia
  • Language:
    Spanish
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Ángela Carabalí

Angela Carabali is a documentary filmmaker, photographer, university professor, master in documentary film (honor student) UPB Colombia and master in photography from the EFTI school in Madrid. She is moved by social, ethnic, transmedia narratives and cultural heritage issues.
Director, screenwriter, and co-producer of the interactive documentary "Pregoneros de Medellín," which received over 12 selections and 8 awards worldwide, including the New Media Film Festival in Los Angeles, Dok Leipzig, Festival Smart FIPA in France, and inclusion in MIT's Docubase. She is currently in post-production for her first feature-length documentary "Will they ever come back?," which is part of an expanded documentary in development, supported by Sundance Production Fund, William Greaves Fund by Firelight Media, La Scam, American Film Showcase, among others.

She belongs to the group of Colombian documentary filmmakers ALADOS and the American Film Showcase fellows program.

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Director Statement

"El Eco ” was born from the need to capture and amplify the voices of resilience in Buenaventura, a municipality that, although it is the main commercial port of the Colombian Pacific and has enormous natural and cultural wealth, has been historically affected by violence. This documentary seeks to show how, in the midst of constant threats, young people like Leonard Rentería and his communications collective, Elegguá, transform fear into an engine of resistance. Through rap, community spaces, and genuine commitment, these leaders not only recount the wounds of their territory but also actively act to heal and rebuild the social fabric of their community.
I am deeply inspired by the contrast between the beauty of Buenaventura - the jungle, the river, the sea - and the complex social reality experienced by its people. Leonard's connection to his African ancestry, his spirituality, the legacy of freedom passed down from his ancestors, and his fervent desire to free his people from violence.
Music is the bridge that connects Leonard's roots to his activism, in collaboration with the International Center for Transitional Justice. Thanks to their support, the Elegguá collective has promoted the appropriation of the Truth Commission report, allowing the youth of Buenaventura to reflect on their history and engage in peace building through art.