Film Description
Leo, a Kichwa speaking day laborer living in New York City, is confronted with a challenge after he is tasked to watch after his recently arrived nephew one morning. Leo's daily life is seen disturbed after receiving unsettling news about the boy's father that now risks this temporary situation turning permanent. Leo will do whatever he can to not burden his life or the boy's, that includes reaching out to his local immigrant and kichwa community for support and strength.
Director Bio
Charlie Uruchima was born and raised in New York City (Lenape Territory) of Kichwa-Ecuadorian descent. Blending his passions for Quechua, community organizing, and digital media, in July 2014, Charlie co-founded Kichwa Hatari, the first Kichwa radio project in the U.S. The work of Kichwa Hatari has been featured in publications like the New York Times, CNN, RT, and the Associated Press. Since 2012, Charlie has worked extensively with grassroots organizations in New York City, like Democracy Now, New Immigrant Community Empowerment (NICE), and Brandworkers.
In 2015, Charlie helped found the first Quechua/Kichwa film showcase in the U.S, May Sumak, a 3-day traveling film showcase that until today has taken place in more than eight cities throughout the US and Ecuador. Since 2016, Charlie has also consulted for the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI) and the Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies (CLACS) at NYU. This year, Charlie released his first fiction film Ayllu, which has been featured in various film showcases in the US . He is also a founding member of the New York-based, all-vinyl Andean music collective, Cuchara de Palo. Currently, Charlie works at the New York Committee for Occupational Safety and Health (NYCOSH) coordinating a city-wide workers’ rights program, where he recently helped organize and launch the New York City Workers’ Bill of Rights in five Latin American indigenous languages, including Kichwa, K’iche’, Mixteco, Garifuna, and Nahuatl.