Akababuru: Expression of Astonishment

AKABABURU: EXPRESSION OF ASTONISHMENT is a short film from Colombia’s Karmata Rua Indigenous Reservation, presented primarily in the Emberá Chami language. It reimagines the myth of Kiraparamia, a woman who is punished by the gods for laughing at her husband. Through stop motion animation and live action, we see this legend come to life, framed by the experiences and connection of two young women who help each other understand that Kiraparamia’s laughter actually set her free and restored her essential bond to nature. On this, the second episode of our Global Ecological Cinema Podcast, we talked with Irati Dojura, director, and Laura Giraldo, producer, of AKABABURU: EXPRESSION OF ASTONISHMENT.They share their perspectives on some themes of the film—such as sisterhood and joy— related to ecology, what it was like to reimagine a mythological woman’s fate, producing a film in collaboration with Irati’s community, the gifts of Indigenous cinema, and more.AKABABURU is an Official Selection in our Indigenous Voices series, featured in our EXPANSIVE ECOLOGICAL IMAGINATION 1 program on March 26 at the Hollywood Theatre. It made history at the 2025 Berlinale by receiving a Special Mention from the Generation Kplus International Jury, marking a significant achievement for Indigenous storytelling.Learn more about the Portland EcoFilm Festival and our podcast--where you'll also find detailed show notes and our guests' film recommendations from this episode.Our interpreters are Paula Martín del Campo Salazar and Ariana Ramos Rocha, with important assistance from Stefania Montaña.Our theme music is from the song “Earth Worship” by the amazing band, Rubblebucket.Our EXPANSIVE ECOLOGICAL IMAGINATION 1 program is sponsored by SOLVE.Our podcast is hosted, edited, and produced by our festival director, Rozzell Medina.The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in this program are solely those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of Film Forever Northwest or its affiliates.