The official languages of Peru are Spanish, Aymara, and Quechua. The latter two are the languages of the Indigenous peoples of the region, with Quechua spreading out beyond the borders of Peru, and now some 10 million people speak it throughout South America. Why, then, has the Quechua culture been cast aside and its people looked at as lesser? That is the question that is at the heart of Runa Simi, written and directed by Augusto Zegarra. To be more accurate, the documentary is about one man’s quest to preserve his language. Does the motion picture work even if someone has next to no knowledge of Peruvian customs and even less of the Quechua people and their ways?
Fernando Valencia is a Quechua radio host who believes that allowing others to hear his voice gives them hope and comfort. In his spare time, Valencia, alongside his son Dylan, dubs films into his native tongue, a scene or two at a time. He uploads these snippets of the movies, dubbed “Quechua clips,” and tours them around schools as a way to help preserve the language. The good-natured man is currently working on The Lion King, his favorite film of all time. Valencia decides he wants to do the entire thing, so he sets out to figure out who he needs to contact at Disney to make it all legal. Crickets. However, the lack of response does not deter Valencia, who continues to cast the necessary voices and attempt to persuade anyone from Disney or related to the animated masterpiece to hear his case.
In Runa Simi, Fernando Valencia joins a lively Quechua dance circle, showcasing the joy and resilience of Indigenous culture in Peru.
“…dubs films into his native tongue…currently working on The Lion King…”
The best thing about Runa Simi is Fernando Valencia. The subject is a delightful presence to spend 81 minutes with. His optimism and determination are infectious and heart-warming. However, it is the man’s relationship with his son that makes this such an uplifting watch. The two clearly love each other and are pretty close. That bond always makes perfect sense and serves as the filter through which many of the older Valencia’s decisions can be viewed. Also, Valencia is a master voice artist, and the movie allows him to do several voices throughout. Each one is distinct and memorable.
On a technical level, this is well-made, although fairly standard as far as documentaries are concerned. Interviews are shot in medium or close-ups and fill in the missing beats. But the director is smart enough to leave the unfiltered reactions of the students who get to see a movie dubbed into Quechua for the first time. It is truly sweet to witness joy and awe creep across a person’s face as they experience their culture and language in a brand-new way.
Runa Simi is simply delightful. Whether or not Valencia succeeds at getting Disney to listen to his request does not matter. In the end, Valencia can point to tangible good he’s done, and the audience will be moved by all that he’s done. Most importantly, though, he’s just a good guy: polite, fun, a loving father, and tenacious. This has all the inspiration and dream-big attitude of the best of the Walt Disney Studios catalog, and that is no small feat.
"…has all the inspiration and dream-big attitude of the best of the Walt Disney Studios catalog..."
