CINE LATINO: Runa Simi

This film is in Spanish, Quechua and English. 

Director Augusto Zegarra attending! 
Enjoy a post-screening dance performance by Mi Perú. 

About the Film

In South America, there are 10 million people who speak Quechua, yet no film has ever been dubbed in this language. Fernando Valencia, a radio host and independent dubbing artist, wants to change that and embarks first on a small project called Quechua Clips. Aided by his son Dylan, he dubs scenes from famous films into Quechua and uploads them to the internet so that millions of Quechua-speaking people can enjoy these glimpses of cinematic magic. But Fernando’s big dream is to fully dub the animated film The Lion King, his all-time favorite. The big obstacle is that he needs to get the go-ahead from The Walt Disney Company.

Runa Simi, Augusto Zegarra’s debut feature documentary, Winner of the Best New Documentary Director Award at the Tribeca Film Festival and the Young Jury Award at Sheffield DocFest 2025, is a deeply moving testament to that cinema, in addition to entertaining, can also inspire audiences to change the world. To the beat of “Hakuchu Munayta,” the Quechua translation Fernando chooses to dub “Hakuna Matata,” Runa Simi offers a solution for preserving endangered languages: dubbing as a tool of resistance. 

RUNA SIMI – En español 

En Sudamérica, hay 10 millones de personas que hablan quechua, pero nunca una película ha sido doblada a este idioma. Fernando Valencia, locutor de radio y doblador independiente, quiere cambiar esto y se embarca primero en un pequeño proyecto llamado Quechua Clips. Con la ayuda de su hijo Dylan, dobla escenas de películas famosas al quechua y las sube a internet para que millones de personas quechua hablantes puedan disfrutar de estos fragmentos de magia cinematográfica. Pero el gran sueño de Fernando es doblar completamente la película animada El Rey León, su favorita de todos los tiempos. El gran obstáculo es que necesita obtener el visto bueno de la Compañia Walt Disney. Runa Simi, el primer largometraje documental de Augusto Zegarra, ganador del Premio a la Mejor Nueva Dirección de Documentales en el Festival de Cine de Tribeca y del Premio del Jurado Joven en Sheffield DocFest 2025, es un testimonio profundamente conmovedor de que el cine, además de entretener, también puede inspirar al público a cambiar el mundo. Al ritmo de “Hakuchu Munayta”, la traducción quechua que Fernando elige llamar “Hakuna Matata”, Runa Simi ofrece una solución para preservar lenguas en peligro: el doblaje como herramienta de resistencia. 

Content Warnings/Age Recommendations

This film is recommended for ages 11 and older. 

Themes

• Quechua is an endangered language, and many are working to preserve it. This film shows one way in which the language is being kept alive. What is the importance of languages, especially those that are not spoken by most of the world? 

• Fernando is passionate about his goal, but has to consistently advocate to others about the value of what he wants to do. Is there a goal you have that others don’t support? In what ways do you advocate for your goal? What are ways that others can support you as well? 

Accessibility

Many performance venues offer accessibility accommodations such as wheelchair seating, assistive listening, sensory ear plugs, ASL interpretation, open captioning, or audio description, among other options. These accommodations are specific to each event, and may not be available everywhere. When registering with us, please let us know what accommodations you need and we will follow up with you! 

Transportation

If you do not have access to a ride, call Project Success and we can provide transportation for you. Please let us know if you need a ride when you make your reservation. We will need at least 2 days’ notice to set up transportation.