Mariel Jumpa and Grecia Delta connected from Peru to Panama with Alcibiades Rodríguez and Julieth Arias, mentors and filmmakers from Ulu Films. The interview highlighted how knowledge sharing and capacity building bridged opportunities to learn from stories rooted in the territories, providing tools and frameworks for storytellers to shape their narratives in their own voices. Learning the stories behind Ulu Films stood as a testimony to the power of storytelling to inspire, connect, and strengthen communities.
From Mentees to Mentors
In the heart of the Darién jungle, among rivers that divide borders and communities that blur them, two filmmakers from the Guna people of Panama have made cinema a tool for resistance, healing, and transformation.
Alcibiades Rodríguez and Julieth Arias, co-founders of the Indigenous film collective Ulu Films, have spent nearly a decade shaping audiovisual narratives that strengthen the roots of their people.
Their journey began as participants in the Emerging Filmmakers program by If Not Us Then Who. Today, after years of learning and community filmmaking, they return to the path, but this time as mentors for the Community Thriving Narratives program, launched in December 2024 in partnership with Health In Harmony and FSC Indigenous Foundation.
Since then, they have worked with communities including Alto Playón, Puerto Lara, and Arimae, guiding over 40 young people and Indigenous leaders in audiovisual storytelling using mobile phones and digital tools. Their goal is to celebrate and strengthen cultural identity, highlighting the deep connection between planetary health, ecosystem protection, and community well-being.
Telling Stories to Resist
Ulu Films was born from the desire to tell stories from the territory and for the territory. For Alcibiades and Julieth, cinema is a way of walking alongside their people, a space where memory and identity dialogue with the present.
“My grandfather, who is a community leader, told me something that marked my path: ‘You are out there, and from there you must watch over us. I work within the community, but you must tell us what happens outside.’ That made me understand the importance of telling stories that strengthen our collective identity” Alcibiades recalls.
For eight years, the collective has led training in filming, screenwriting, and editing techniques, both in Panama and in other countries across Mesoamerica. Their work has supported young filmmakers from the Escuela Mesoamericana de Liderazgo (Mesoamerican Leadership School), strengthening Indigenous cinema as a tool for organization, memory, and defense.
Empowering Indigenous Leadership Through Cinema
For Alcibiades and Julieth, the true impact of their work lies in empowering young Indigenous Peoples to tell their own stories. “All we do is strengthen, because the leadership is already in the hands of young Indigenous people; we just need to give them tools like cinema to tell their stories,” Julieth explains.
Alcibiades adds, “Working with young people and teenagers has transformed me both personally and professionally. I learn as much from them as they do from me. This process has helped me grow and reaffirm my commitment to the community.”
Through hands-on workshops, participants learn to use digital tools to document their realities, celebrate their heritage, and raise awareness about the challenges their communities face. “Many young Indigenous people living in the city were unaware of these issues. Seeing them in audiovisual format impacts them. We live in a digital era where social media can spark curiosity and pride. Some tell me they want to learn more, and I recommend they watch our short films,” Julieth adds.
This approach ensures that the next generation of Indigenous leaders not only preserves memory and culture but also gains the skills to influence and inspire their communities and beyond.
Stories That Cross Borders
Ulu Films’ most recent short film, Nurdargana– Ancestral Site, has sparked a deep sense of pride and reflection within the Guna territory. The work tells the story of the struggle to reclaim Nurdarganá, an ancestral site contested for over a decade, where the defense of the territory intertwines with the people’s memory and spirituality.
Alcibiades recalls with emotion the reaction of traditional authorities during the first screening. “The General Congress was moved to see that a story that was once only known within the comarca now reaches the city and even other countries.”
That screening marked a turning point. From then on, Ulu Films began receiving messages from filmmakers across the continent, especially from the Peruvian Amazon. “I’ve received messages from filmmakers, particularly from Iquitos, who identify with our struggles. That shows that our stories resonate beyond our borders,” Alcibiades says.
Through these stories, Ulu Films has strengthened the collective identity not only of their own people but also of other communities that see their own resistances and hopes reflected on screen.
Direct Funding: Strengthening the Voice of Communities at COP30
As part of the If Not Us Then Who mentorship program, the project Indigenous Imaginarium was developed, connecting Indigenous filmmakers from around the world with the media industry in Los Angeles. Twenty-three storytellers from the Americas, Asia, the Pacific, the Amazon, the Caribbean, and North America shared their visions and experiences through images and sound to reimagine the world we deserve.
“When I went to Los Angeles, I made new friends, discovered new environments, and also learned about the challenges faced by different territories,” Alcibiades recalls.
This year, COP30 will focus on crucial negotiations on climate finance, emission reduction, adaptation, and resilience, according to the United Nations Environment Programme. In this context, Alcibiades emphasizes the importance of direct funding, so that community identity and Indigenous cinema become a lens for humanity.
From Panama to COP30
From the training process of the Community Thriving Narratives program, led by Alcibiades and Julieth, three powerful short films emerged: Arimae – The Fight is Our Resistance, Alto Playón – Consequences of Migration, and Puerto Lara – Water is Life. Each film reflects the realities faced by these Darién communities, focusing on territorial defense, the impacts of migration, and the importance of water as a source of life.
For Alcibiades and Julieth, the experience of working alongside these communities reinforced their belief that cinema can be a tool for transformation. “I envision expanding our work with Indigenous groups, showing their needs and struggles—not just telling stories, but also training them,” Alcibiades shares.
Julieth adds that true creation begins from within the community: “An ideal creative space is one where young people can share their stories without limitations. We don’t need professional equipment; creativity emerges from the resources we have”. Through workshops and exchanges, they guided young Indigenous people in Panama to amplify their voices through storytelling.
“We want young people to lose the fear of storytelling and start doing it, to let the voice of the people be heard, producing films that preserve our languages and showcase the beauty and resilience of our cultures,” Julieth says.
Both filmmakers see audiovisual storytelling as a powerful way to protect their territory and raise awareness of their struggles beyond their borders. “We can use social media to show that we are always protecting our territory… not out of whim, but from knowledge rooted in our community,” Julieth explains.
During COP30 in Belém, these stories traveled from Darién to the Amazon, carrying the voices of Arimae, Alto Playón, and Puerto Lara—communities on the frontlines of climate action and cultural survival.
Through the work of Ulu Films and the filmmakers they inspired, cinema became a bridge between generations and territories, reminding the world that Indigenous peoples were not only guardians of ecosystems but also guardians of memory. And when they told their own stories, the world learned to listen differently.
Indigenous Guna Youth Leadership at COP30
For Alcibiades, who participated in COP30 as Secretary of the Guna Youth General Congress, this space was far more than an international summit. It was an opportunity to carry the voice of his people and the memory of the territory into a global space where climate decisions translate into direct impacts on Indigenous lives, cultures, and lands.
“These spaces allowed us to make visible the climate reality of the Guna Yala territory, while reaffirming the importance of Indigenous youth playing a leading role in decision-making processes,” Alcibiades said.
One of the most significant outcomes of this participation was the selection of the Guna Youth General Congress as regional facilitator of the International Indigenous Youth Forum on Climate Change for Mesoamerica and the Caribbean forest. This responsibility, to be carried out between 2025 and 2027, will be assumed by Arnelio Brenes.
“This recognition confirms that the work we have been doing with discipline, commitment, and a collective vision is generating concrete results. Today, youth are not only participating; they are also assuming responsibility and leadership in international spaces,” Alcibiades added.
COP30 also left key lessons for the youth movement, particularly the need to strengthen the participation of young women and to continue consolidating a strong institutional vision for youth-led work both within and beyond Gunayala.
For Alcibiades, the experience reaffirmed that Guna youth are prepared to face new challenges, defend their territories, and actively contribute to climate solutions from a position of leadership and self-organization.
Nossa Aldeia Casa Maraká COP30
From 12–16 November in Belém do Pará, Nossa Aldeia Casa Maraká brought together communities, artists, activists, and leaders.
Across five days, participants shared ideas, forged alliances, and co-created pathways for planetary healing. Through conversations, cultural exchanges, and collaborative sessions, they illuminated new possibilities for solidarity and systemic change.
On November 12—Storytelling Day, we screened the short film Puerto Lara – Water is Life at Casa Maraká. The film honored the courage and creativity of communities who use storytelling to defend their territories and sustain cultural memory.
Stay tuned for event highlights—and to learn how voices from the territories continue to shape the path toward climate justice.