Experiencing Interruptions?

SŪKŪJULA TEI (Stories of My Mother)

During a visit to her sister Amaliata, Rosa, a wise Wayuu woman, teaches her grandchildren the importance of reciprocity within their culture.

This film is part of a series and multimedia platform, made in partnership with Indigenous storytellers and their communities worldwide, invites learning from time-honored and current Indigenous ways of being. Facing a climate crisis, the Reciprocity Project embraces Indigenous value systems that have bolstered communities since the beginning of time. To heal, we must recognize that we are in relationship with Earth, a place that was in balance for millenia. More information at www.reciprocity.org.

  • David Hernández Palmar
    Director
  • Flor Palmar
    Associate Producer
  • Flor Palmar
    Key Cast
    "Rosa"
  • Daisy Camargo
    Key Cast
    "Amaliata"
  • Yeliza Uriana
    Key Cast
    "Jasai"
  • Cristian González
    Key Cast
    "Kushematai"
  • Keiber Camargo
    Key Cast
    "Joutai"
  • Keiber Camargo
    Key Cast
    "Juyaa"
  • Duiren Wagua
    Director of Photography
  • Flor Palmar
    Original Story
  • David Hernández Palmar
    Screenplay Adaptation
  • Duiren Wagua
    Editor
  • Sauli Pillay
    Editor
  • Sauli Pillay
    Assistant Editor
  • David Hernández Palmar
    Additional Editing
  • Marbel Vanegas
    Field Producer
  • Juan Pablo Núñez
    Sound Recordist
  • Jesús Acosta
    Camera Assistant
  • Yelver Florez
    Production Assistant
  • Marbel Vanegas
    Production Assistant
  • Marbel Vanegas
    On set COVID-19 Coordinator
  • Ernesto Acosta Cepeda
    Photographer
  • Juan Pablo Núñez
    Composer
  • Flor Palmar
    Translator Wayuunaiki – Spanish
  • Jonathan Luna
    Translator Spanish – English
  • Tracy Rector
    Executive Producer
  • Taylor Hensel
    Series Co-Director
  • Adam Mazo
    Series Co-Director
  • Taylor Hensel
    Series Producer
  • Adam Mazo
    Series Producer
  • Kavita Pillay
    Series Producer
  • Dina Gilio-Whitaker
    Learning Co-Director
  • Mishy Lesser
    Learning Co-Director
  • Kavita Pillay
    Field Production Coordinator
  • Sauli Pillay
    Production Manager
  • Jacob Bearchum
    Lead Assistant Editor
  • Eleni Ledesma
    COVID Safety Supervisor
  • Ben Pender-Cudlip
    Technologist / Systems Management Consultant
  • Chelsea Strelser
    Administration / Program Support Specialist
  • Blake Brown
    Opening Animation
  • Paige Pettibon
    Opening Illustration
  • Jennifer Kreisberg
    Opening Animation Music
  • Heather Cassano
    Color Correction
  • Sauli Pillay
    Color Correction
  • Bear Allison
    Sound Engineer
  • Ernesto Rafael Acosta Cepeda
    Sound Engineer
  • Taylor Hensel
    Sound Engineer
  • Ivy Lagod
    Sound Engineer
  • Jared Lank
    Sound Engineer
  • Keri Oberly
    Sound Engineer
  • Brianna Smith
    Sound Engineer
  • Loren Waters
    Sound Engineer
  • Yen Tan
    Poster Design
  • Cindy Chischilly
    Poster Design
  • Melissa Billows
    Accounting
  • Jonathan Saceda
    Accounting
  • Susi Walsh
    Accounting
  • Jeffrey Cadwell
    Legal
  • Justine Jacob
    Legal
  • Sarah Robertson
    Legal
  • Haley Gustafson
    Trademark Support
  • Haley Gustafson
    Administrative Support
  • Neyda Quiñones- Ortiz
    Administrative Support
  • Scott Kyllo
    IT Support
  • Sauli Pillay
    DIT
  • Stella Covre
    Series Translators & Interpreter
  • Flavia Franco
    Series Translators & Interpreter
  • Jonathan Luna
    Series Translators & Interpreter
  • Neyda Quiñones-Ortiz
    Series Translators & Interpreter
  • Maria Angelica Ramirez
    Series Translators & Interpreter
  • Joel Schomberg
    Promotional Design & Graphics
  • Cindy Chischilly
    Promotional Design & Graphics
  • Trisha Sacramone
    Intern
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Genres:
    Indigenous, Children, Latin America
  • Runtime:
    6 minutes 43 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    January 1, 2022
  • Production Budget:
    50,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    Colombia
  • Country of Filming:
    Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of
  • Language:
    Wayuu
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Skábmagovat Indigenous Peoples’ Film Festival
    Inari
    Finland
    January 27, 2022
    Official Selection
  • Big Sky Documentary Film Festival
    Missoula
    United States
    February 25, 2022
    North American Premiere
    Official Selection
  • Durango Independent Film Festival
    Durango
    United States
    March 2, 2022
    Colorado Premiere
    Official Selection
  • Environmental Film Festival In The Nation's Capital
    Washington D.C.
    United States
    March 2, 2022
    East Coast Premiere
    Official Selection
  • Independent Film Festival Boston
    Boston, Massachusetts
    United States
    April 27, 2022
  • Northwest Folklife Festival
    Seattle, Washington
    United States
    May 27, 2022
  • Māoriland Film Festival
    Ōtaki, Aotearoa
    New Zealand
    June 29, 2022
  • Festival Internacional de Cine Para Niños de México
    México City
    Mexico
    August 9, 2022
    Official Selection
  • Regina International Film Festival and Awards
    Regina, Saskatchewan
    Canada
    August 9, 2022
    Official Selection
  • The International First Peoples Festival Présence Autochtone
    Montréal, Québec
    Canada
    August 16, 2022
    Official Selection
  • Asinabka Film and Media Arts Festival
    Ottawa, Ontario
    Canada
    August 10, 2022
  • Vancouver Latin American Film Festival
    Vancouver, British Columbia
    Canada
    August 25, 2022
    Official Selection
  • Local Sightings Film Festival
    Seattle, WA
    United States
    September 16, 2022
    Official Selection
  • Chicago International Children's Film Festival
    Chicago, Illinois
    United States
    November 4, 2022
    Official Selection
  • Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival
    Hot Springs, Arkansas
    United States
    October 10, 2022
    Official Selection
  • imagineNATIVE
    Toronto
    United States
    October 18, 2022
    Official Selection
  • IndiFest Festival de Cinema Indígena de Barcelona
    Barcelona
    Spain
    October 12, 2022
    Official Selection
  • Cucalorus Film Festival
    Wilmington, NC
    United States
    November 17, 2022
    Official Selection
  • Quetzalcoatl Indigenous International Film Festival
    Quintana Roo
    Mexico
    March 12, 2023
    Official Selection
  • Reel 2 Real International Film Festival for Youth
    Vancouver
    Canada
    March 28, 2023
    Official Selection
  • Capital City Film Festival
    Lansing, MI
    United States
    April 5, 2023
    Official Selection
Distribution Information
  • Nia Tero
    Distributor
    Country: Worldwide
    Rights: All Rights
Director Biography - David Hernández Palmar

David Hernández Palmar | Wayuu, IIPUANA | Journalist, photographer, filmmaker / Curator of Latin American and Caribbean Film specializing in Indigenous Film / Member of the Wayuu People Communications Network / Director of the Indigenous Audiovisual Foundation Wayaakua / Curator and Programmer of the Wayuu Film and Video Showcase / Curator and Programmer of the International Indigenous Film Showcase of Venezuela MICIV / Political Advisor for Latin American Coordinator of Cinema and Communication of Indigenous Peoples CLACPI / Guest Curator for Daupará – Indigenous Film and Video Showcase in Colombia / Former Advisor for special selection NATIVe of the Berlinale International Film Festival / Consultant for the Prince Claus Foundation / Member of The Indigenous Media and Communication Caucus / Member of the Programmers of Color Collective POC².

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

This film shares a memory of my mother's childhood, and I adapted it to recreate a parable of reciprocity through an everyday encounter of Wayuu People, visually inspired by the stories of Ramón Paz Ipuana, a great Wayuu writer. The mise-en-scene embraces the simplicity of everyday life with hints of Indigenous futurism that suggest that our future is a return to a community aesthetic. I feel that the camera is like a spirit that was also visiting the set.

Making this film reaffirms that Indigenous Peoples can make movies and tell their own stories even under adverse conditions. When dreamers come together we can achieve a beautiful result.