Film explores isolated Kogi tribe in Colombia

Jean Paul, first of all, talk to us about the Kogi people and their way of life.

Well, the Kogi people are an indigenous tribe from Colombia who live in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta.

Which is on the northeast coast of Colombia in a mountain range.

That's the highest coastal mountain range in the world, they've preserved their way of life, which is very deeply connected to the earth.

And their original ways of living in connection to the earth and surviving and supporting themselves for centuries.

What touched you most in this documentary or is there a light bulb moment for viewers?

There's many things in the film that that touched me very deeply.

And in in particular, it's how how is there an indigenous tribe, you know, a lost civilization.

Who have this profoundly deep understanding and connection to the earth.

How is it that we have to wait to hear their message?

Before we can start to consider what should actually be fundamental common sense, you know?

We're using up the resources for three and a half planets right now.

Well, that's a very serious issue.

And how come we're not rallying around together as an international community?

To look at that seriously.

Do you think we'll see the Kogi again? Will they come out again with a message?

Five, 10 years from now.

And and how did they end the documentary?

Whether they'll come forward in future times.

They've said they won't.

However, when I've been with them recently, they've also said that this needs to be an ongoing work.

The Kogi's take care of their lands.

They take care of their communities.

That's not something that stops overnight.

You know, they're going to continue doing that.

Whether they'll whether they'll speak out in the future.

I'm hopeful that they will.

Because in my experience of interacting with them and being with them.

The level of care and understanding which they offer us.

Is deeply important in in my personal experience.

How they ended the movie was was amazing.

I mean, they.

We finished the film.

It went into post-production.

We completed the picture, there was picture lock, it was all done.

We thought, great, let's take it back.

And show the Kogi.

So Alan Herrera went back.

He showed it to the Kogi.

The Kogi leaders and they said.

Yes, well done.

We've got a film.

You've got the message.

This is what we want to say.

But there's one thing that's missing.

You're ending the film with a with despair.

We can't end with despair.

All is not lost.

We're in trouble.

There's many things that need to happen.

But there is hope for the future.

You speak so passionately about this documentary.

Do you feel that it will have the same impact with others?

And how could people see it?

I hope it has the same impact.

It needs to have the same impact.

We live in such a fragmented culture, you know.

As soon as we get up in the morning or when we go to bed, there's a thousand and one things in our head.

That we think we've got that we're organizing.

That we need to do.

We need to be able to hear and respond to this message and really come together.

To look at this, you know, in in how I see it is that the Kogi's message.

Is intended to be a catalyst for the global conversation that we are all a part of.

We've been showing the film all around the world.

In every single instance, the shows have been selling out in.

Like an hour or two.

People are hungry, people are engaged, people want to know what the Kogi have to say.

They feel that they're important.

Now.

In terms of.

Where it goes from there.

That's up to us.

The film is going to be released on the 1st of October.

Worldwide on iTunes.

We're going to have a promotional campaign that launches on social media before then.

And so people can connect with that.

We're recording messages from key global personalities.

Who are connected to this message in their own ways.

And we're asking people to see the movie when it comes out.

To talk to their friends about it.

And to engage about the possibility of how this needs to influence our actions in the future.