In the Chilean capital of Santiago, Stef Biemans visits South America’s…
Between the Americas, Ep. 1: Listening to San Blas
- Description
- Reviews
- Citation
- Cataloging
- Transcript
View on the Pragda STREAM site
The Islands of San Blas are inhabited by the Kuna people, an Indigenous group who live on the rhythm of nature. As their islands are at the forefront of climate change, with the Caribbean Sea rising continuously, they face a huge dilemma: relocate to the mainland or to wait until the water comes?
Stef Biemans preserves the final sounds of this extraordinary culture: a sewing machine, the threatening waves, a grated coconut and the singing palm tree.
Series Description
For a long time, Central America seemed to be on the rise, but opposing forces have hindered any positive developments. There have emerged two Americas, and in between these two visions, journalist Stef Biemans listens to the stories of Central America. Biemans has lived and worked in the region for more than 15 years and brights to light the delicate situation of many Central Americans in a calleidoscope of sounds and stories.
“What we hear and see in Between the Americas is beautiful poetry and deeply disturbing.” — NRC Handelsblad
“This series feels just as colorful and double-edged as a fairy tale. In between the ominous stories,
you can find hope and humanity, just like in a real fary tale.” — Trouw
“A documentary maker wants to portray an unkown area with the sounds of a small recording device.
If I would be in charge of a network I would tell him to get lost. But if the documentary maker is Stef Biemans and the area is Central America, I hope I will have the wisdom to say yes.” — Groene Amsterdammer
Citation
Main credits
Biemans, Stef (film director)
Biemans, Stef (narrator)
Frints, Nicole (film producer)
Other credits
Cinematography, Remco Bikkers; editing, Joël Hielckert & Stef Biemans.
Distributor subjects
Geography; Central America; Culture + Identity; Economics + Social Class Issues; Environment + Sustainability; Indigenous Peoples; Latin American Studies; SociologyKeywords
00:00:10.480 --> 00:00:12.320
What...
00:00:13.320 --> 00:00:17.560
What is your island's nicest sound?
00:00:17.680 --> 00:00:21.440
The sound of the waves
in the early morning.
00:00:21.560 --> 00:00:23.440
Early-morning waves.
00:00:26.720 --> 00:00:31.720
That's how the waves sound.
I don't mean Bush, the president.
00:00:31.840 --> 00:00:34.520
The sound of the waves. Nice.
00:00:37.920 --> 00:00:42.480
This story begins
with the comforting sounds of the sea.
00:00:43.960 --> 00:00:49.080
It's also about the sounds of
a sewing machine, a talking palm tree...
00:00:49.200 --> 00:00:52.240
...the grating of a coconut...
00:00:53.800 --> 00:00:58.440
...a Panamanian parakeet,
a sleep-inducing maraca...
00:00:58.560 --> 00:01:01.880
...and a hammer that ends everything.
00:01:07.440 --> 00:01:12.480
Together, these sounds
tell a story about Central America.
00:01:29.920 --> 00:01:32.320
I'm recording the sound.
00:01:32.440 --> 00:01:37.160
For 15 years I lived and travelled
in this region.
00:01:37.280 --> 00:01:43.600
Everywhere in this region you always
hear sounds full of joy and rhythm.
00:01:44.880 --> 00:01:50.920
But if you listen carefully, you hear
counterforces that create turmoil.
00:01:51.040 --> 00:01:56.400
This sounds complicated and pretentious,
but it will become self-evident.
00:02:26.480 --> 00:02:34.960
BETWEEN THE AMERICAS
ep. 1: listening to San Blas
00:02:58.200 --> 00:03:00.200
Help me.
00:03:05.240 --> 00:03:07.040
Help me.
00:03:09.560 --> 00:03:11.960
You drenched me.
00:03:13.320 --> 00:03:20.280
I wanted to record the sound of the reeds
hitting the water. Why do you do that?
00:03:20.400 --> 00:03:23.840
To make her go down.
- To make the sea go down?
00:03:23.960 --> 00:03:29.720
To make the sea go down
and the wind lie down.
00:03:29.840 --> 00:03:34.360
And why do you use reeds for that?
00:03:34.480 --> 00:03:38.720
No idea. That's how our ancestors did it.
00:03:38.840 --> 00:03:42.640
They invented it.
- It became tradition.
00:03:42.760 --> 00:03:46.360
Do you fear the sea?
- No, I don't.
00:03:46.480 --> 00:03:50.520
I am her daughter, a daughter of the sea.
00:03:50.640 --> 00:03:55.280
Who brought me here? You sent me here.
00:03:55.400 --> 00:03:58.840
You feel like you're the sea's daughter?
- Yes.
00:03:58.960 --> 00:04:00.880
Beautiful.
00:04:03.400 --> 00:04:06.800
Is the sea a good parent?
- Yes.
00:04:08.320 --> 00:04:10.040
She's going down.
00:04:10.160 --> 00:04:13.880
The sea always comes up to here...
00:04:14.000 --> 00:04:17.360
...or was she further out in the past?
00:04:17.480 --> 00:04:20.920
She has come in closer.
00:04:21.040 --> 00:04:24.720
By how much? Something like this?
- Yes.
00:04:24.840 --> 00:04:31.240
God knows. I think of God every day.
- Really?
00:04:31.360 --> 00:04:35.600
Of course. God will help me.
- He will help you?
00:04:46.080 --> 00:04:50.480
They say the water level here
rises quicker than anywhere else.
00:04:50.600 --> 00:04:57.640
And as the 365 islands are just about
at sea level, they will soon disappear.
00:05:05.600 --> 00:05:09.000
The sea is getting more boisterous.
00:05:09.120 --> 00:05:15.600
From early on, kids are close to nature.
When they feel warm, they take a dip.
00:05:16.760 --> 00:05:20.280
Siblings teach each other to swim.
00:05:20.400 --> 00:05:26.720
At first you thrash about,
but your siblings hold you tight.
00:05:26.840 --> 00:05:31.000
That's how they learn.
Our kids are excellent swimmers.
00:05:31.120 --> 00:05:34.080
You are an amphibious people.
00:05:34.200 --> 00:05:39.480
Because they live close to the sea.
They are like little turtles.
00:05:39.600 --> 00:05:42.640
They will become good fishermen.
00:05:50.000 --> 00:05:52.360
This island is Faduhua.
00:05:52.480 --> 00:05:56.600
What does that mean?
- 'Little island'.
00:05:58.000 --> 00:05:59.760
Little island?
- Yes.
00:05:59.880 --> 00:06:03.040
How many inhabitants?
- About 50.
00:06:04.280 --> 00:06:08.240
On this little island there is little space.
00:06:14.280 --> 00:06:20.920
Don Hernán's wife asked me whether
I wanted to record her parakeets. I did.
00:06:26.600 --> 00:06:32.120
We had trouble communicating because
she only spoke Kuna, not Spanish.
00:06:32.240 --> 00:06:38.720
Did I want to record the sound of
a coconut being ground? Good idea.
00:06:44.560 --> 00:06:47.000
Mind your fingers.
00:06:52.640 --> 00:06:56.800
This is smoked fish.
It's delicious and fresh.
00:06:56.920 --> 00:07:02.560
And who prepares all of that?
- It's all done by the missus.
00:07:02.680 --> 00:07:06.880
So, in Guna culture the woman cooks?
And the man?
00:07:07.000 --> 00:07:10.280
He gathers wood, and fishes.
00:07:10.400 --> 00:07:15.320
Who is more important,
the man or the woman? The woman.
00:07:15.440 --> 00:07:20.160
Yes, the home is in her name...
00:07:20.280 --> 00:07:24.640
...and when she dies,
her daughter is the heiress.
00:07:24.760 --> 00:07:29.520
That is why in the Guna culture
the woman is important.
00:07:29.640 --> 00:07:33.920
May I ask her
whether she feels important?
00:07:34.040 --> 00:07:38.560
How does it feel to be the mother
of your kids?
00:07:38.680 --> 00:07:42.960
I am very happy
to be able to care for my kids.
00:07:43.080 --> 00:07:48.040
Among the Guna the leader
is always a man.
00:07:48.160 --> 00:07:51.800
That is a problem: it is always a man.
00:07:51.920 --> 00:07:58.520
But we always say: At home,
the woman has her rights.
00:07:58.640 --> 00:08:04.080
She can speak up.
She fights for her femininity...
00:08:04.200 --> 00:08:06.240
...and for her rights.
00:08:06.360 --> 00:08:08.760
To be feminine or feminist?
00:08:08.880 --> 00:08:12.040
No, feminine.
- Right.
00:08:12.160 --> 00:08:19.640
Here... Listen. We are not used
to talking about these kinds of things.
00:08:19.760 --> 00:08:25.760
Was it rude of me
to talk about feminism?
00:08:25.880 --> 00:08:28.040
No?
- No.
00:08:39.120 --> 00:08:44.440
Talking past each other about feminism
was not Don Hernán's thing.
00:08:44.560 --> 00:08:48.800
He did not consider it
an important subject.
00:08:48.920 --> 00:08:54.680
Something else was closer to his heart,
his second big love: the sea.
00:08:54.800 --> 00:09:00.840
It's a small island: sea there, sea here.
- It seems like the sea is gaining ground.
00:09:00.960 --> 00:09:04.200
Yes, it is now 2022.
00:09:04.320 --> 00:09:09.120
Probably we will have to move
to the mainland by 2050.
00:09:09.240 --> 00:09:10.920
But I always say:
00:09:11.040 --> 00:09:15.600
We will never abandon our islands.
We're devoted to them.
00:09:15.720 --> 00:09:22.600
The sea level continues to rise. So,
we'll have to move to the mainland.
00:09:22.720 --> 00:09:26.800
We already have a building project there.
00:09:26.920 --> 00:09:32.960
Houses are being built already?
- Yes, but many of the old folks...
00:09:33.080 --> 00:09:38.200
...are happy here, because here
we can breathe fresh air.
00:09:38.320 --> 00:09:42.920
Fresh air from the sea or even the ocean.
00:09:43.040 --> 00:09:45.560
We feel well here.
00:10:00.800 --> 00:10:03.200
These are sounds of nature.
00:10:03.320 --> 00:10:09.480
Babdummad, the almighty Father,
has gifted us these sounds.
00:10:10.800 --> 00:10:15.240
It's like Babdummad
gifted us a piece of music.
00:10:15.360 --> 00:10:18.440
It is what we call Mother Earth.
00:10:19.840 --> 00:10:25.440
the Creator looks at me
He created everything
00:10:25.560 --> 00:10:32.360
I am so happy
so happy
00:10:33.440 --> 00:10:36.840
I respect the sea
00:10:36.960 --> 00:10:39.800
the Creator gave me
the sea
00:10:39.920 --> 00:10:46.720
I feel so happy
so happy
00:10:46.840 --> 00:10:48.760
so happy
00:10:51.520 --> 00:10:56.720
Worldwide, the Guna Yala are one
of the best-protected indigenous people.
00:10:56.840 --> 00:11:01.920
Western influences are few
and they are still in contact with nature.
00:11:03.200 --> 00:11:08.960
But it seems like the sounds
of their happiness are disappearing.
00:11:09.080 --> 00:11:14.000
The Panamanian government
started a project on the mainland...
00:11:14.120 --> 00:11:17.000
...'for when the water comes'.
00:11:31.880 --> 00:11:39.040
The Guna will end up here, like the rest
of the world: globalised and unhappy.
00:11:45.400 --> 00:11:49.400
I am so happy
00:11:51.640 --> 00:11:54.000
I respect the sea
00:11:55.160 --> 00:12:01.920
The rising sea levels will not only wash
away a paradise, but also a culture.
00:12:02.040 --> 00:12:03.960
Hello.
00:12:04.080 --> 00:12:09.360
I may be recording the Guna's
last sounds on a simple sound recorder...
00:12:09.480 --> 00:12:13.360
...but at least we will have a legacy later.
00:12:21.640 --> 00:12:25.280
The sewing machine
represents traditional costume.
00:12:25.400 --> 00:12:30.600
Guna women wear this for tourists,
but also in daily life.
00:12:30.720 --> 00:12:33.280
What is that called?
- 'Wini'.
00:12:33.400 --> 00:12:37.120
Is it for protection?
- No.
00:12:37.240 --> 00:12:40.840
It's a form of adornment.
00:12:40.960 --> 00:12:44.800
Does it feel nice? Not too warm?
- No.
00:12:44.920 --> 00:12:46.680
Even on your legs.
00:12:46.800 --> 00:12:52.880
Every three months we put on new ones
with a different colour and pattern.
00:12:53.000 --> 00:12:58.160
Every three months?
- Yes, and always a different colour.
00:12:58.280 --> 00:13:03.680
I change them every month.
- You are a bit more trendy.
00:13:05.120 --> 00:13:11.640
After a while, they can get uncomfortable.
So, you change them.
00:13:11.760 --> 00:13:15.440
You don't like to always wear
the same.
00:13:15.560 --> 00:13:18.440
Go to sleep, sweetheart.
00:13:21.360 --> 00:13:25.480
Why doesn't she wear
traditional costume?
00:13:26.800 --> 00:13:29.120
She's not a woman.
00:13:29.240 --> 00:13:34.200
She is gay. And so,
she is not allowed to wear it.
00:13:34.320 --> 00:13:39.280
Would you like to wear the costume?
- Yes.
00:13:39.400 --> 00:13:44.240
But we in the gay community...
00:13:44.360 --> 00:13:47.880
...wear our own traditional costume.
00:13:48.000 --> 00:13:52.040
When we want to.
So, it is not compulsory.
00:13:52.160 --> 00:13:55.840
Would you like to dress like this?
- Yes.
00:13:59.120 --> 00:14:02.840
Why are you laughing?
- Because of her.
00:14:03.960 --> 00:14:08.400
Do you think she's funny?
- Yes, very funny.
00:14:09.760 --> 00:14:13.320
How does your culture
view homosexuality?
00:14:13.440 --> 00:14:16.120
It's considered to be normal.
00:14:16.240 --> 00:14:19.400
There is no discrimination?
- No.
00:14:19.520 --> 00:14:21.560
For us it's...
00:14:21.680 --> 00:14:27.080
I like her very much,
because she's a good seamstress.
00:14:27.200 --> 00:14:31.600
She helps me out.
She helps me when I sew.
00:14:31.720 --> 00:14:36.920
I have nice clothes.
When there's a party, my mola's ready.
00:14:37.040 --> 00:14:44.640
When I don't have time to sew,
she is the one to help me out.
00:14:44.760 --> 00:14:48.360
She does more than a woman.
- Right.
00:14:48.480 --> 00:14:54.240
You say 'she', not 'he'.
- No, she.
00:14:56.520 --> 00:14:59.000
Do you feel accepted here?
00:14:59.120 --> 00:15:05.880
We as gays always travel
from island to island...
00:15:06.000 --> 00:15:10.320
...for the 'chicha', a local tradition.
00:15:10.440 --> 00:15:16.280
And when we feel at home in a house,
with a family...
00:15:16.400 --> 00:15:22.760
...because we have a good time there,
we like to stay there.
00:15:22.880 --> 00:15:25.440
Do you go to all the parties?
00:15:25.560 --> 00:15:31.680
Yes, she wanders around
with her own group.
00:15:31.800 --> 00:15:34.880
With other gays?
- Yes.
00:15:35.000 --> 00:15:41.280
And they always stay somewhere else.
- We stay when we feel at home.
00:15:41.400 --> 00:15:44.920
You are looking for happiness.
00:15:45.040 --> 00:15:47.680
Are gays allowed to marry?
- Yes.
00:15:47.800 --> 00:15:54.880
Every island has its own rules
concerning gay marriage.
00:15:55.000 --> 00:16:00.120
Sometimes it's only possible to marry
when you are friends.
00:16:00.240 --> 00:16:02.960
You can take her with you.
00:16:05.440 --> 00:16:08.360
They film everything.
00:16:09.560 --> 00:16:16.760
This tolerance of homosexuality,
and the celebration of gender fluidity...
00:16:16.880 --> 00:16:22.160
...is, in a Central American context,
modern to say the least.
00:16:24.720 --> 00:16:28.680
Any more questions?
- Do you feel happy in costume?
00:16:28.800 --> 00:16:33.160
My woman's heart feels happy now.
00:16:33.280 --> 00:16:38.880
I feel accepted at the moment.
I feel like a woman.
00:16:39.000 --> 00:16:42.280
Maybe you can marry him.
00:16:44.240 --> 00:16:49.240
A modern take from an extremely
traditional people, intriguing.
00:16:49.360 --> 00:16:53.040
He thinks I laugh too much.
00:16:53.160 --> 00:16:57.000
And there are more things
that are intriguing:
00:16:57.120 --> 00:16:59.880
All the land is in the woman's name.
00:17:00.000 --> 00:17:03.480
You cannot be in a hammock
when others work.
00:17:05.400 --> 00:17:10.320
They have great parties and
brew a fermented maize drink.
00:17:21.760 --> 00:17:27.840
They have a flag with a suspect cross
that has nothing to do with Nazis.
00:17:29.440 --> 00:17:33.800
And they lull their babies to sleep
by shaking a maraca.
00:17:37.800 --> 00:17:43.960
But what intrigued me most was that
the sea flowed into almost every home.
00:17:44.080 --> 00:17:48.320
The Guna seem to deal with that
in their own way.
00:17:53.280 --> 00:17:54.840
God will help me.
00:17:59.320 --> 00:18:04.640
Did you consider moving to the mainland?
- No.
00:18:06.280 --> 00:18:09.920
Aren't you worried about the water?
00:18:10.040 --> 00:18:13.120
Or the sea level?
- No.
00:18:14.560 --> 00:18:22.280
There's nothing wrong here. The sea
has not changed. This is normal.
00:18:22.400 --> 00:18:26.400
Don't you believe
the sea levels are rising?
00:18:28.320 --> 00:18:32.640
Me neither. We have a good life here.
00:18:35.080 --> 00:18:40.600
The people I've talked to seem less
worried about rising sea levels than me.
00:18:40.720 --> 00:18:44.040
They'll be all right with God's help.
00:18:44.160 --> 00:18:50.440
Does my Western climate religion
make the problem bigger than it is?
00:18:51.640 --> 00:18:57.800
For answers that are not covered
by religion, you go to a so-called saila.
00:18:57.920 --> 00:19:00.960
They are identified by the tie and hat...
00:19:01.080 --> 00:19:06.440
...which they earned with their scientific
approach of problems.
00:19:10.320 --> 00:19:14.840
Some people do not believe
the sea levels are rising.
00:19:14.960 --> 00:19:19.400
What do you believe?
- I do believe it.
00:19:19.520 --> 00:19:25.920
The planet is constantly moving.
And it is getting warmer.
00:19:26.040 --> 00:19:29.560
Because of the warming...
00:19:29.680 --> 00:19:36.320
...the ice over there in Europe
cannot not stay frozen.
00:19:36.440 --> 00:19:43.600
And because of all that melting ice,
water levels are rising.
00:19:43.720 --> 00:19:48.680
I believe this is a fact,
but some cannot believe it.
00:19:48.800 --> 00:19:55.680
Industry causes damage everywhere.
00:19:55.800 --> 00:20:00.280
All that smoke. We call it: glurrus.
00:20:00.400 --> 00:20:07.360
They pump up petrol
from deep underground.
00:20:07.480 --> 00:20:11.680
Petrol, kerosene, iron.
00:20:11.800 --> 00:20:13.880
Sea levels are rising.
00:20:15.960 --> 00:20:22.880
God created the world in such a way
that the drain got clogged.
00:20:23.000 --> 00:20:26.960
Like with a clogged toilet.
00:20:27.080 --> 00:20:33.920
So, when sea levels rise, all of this
disappears under water like this.
00:20:34.040 --> 00:20:36.760
The islands will be flooded.
00:20:36.880 --> 00:20:41.280
Like the world is a huge toilet.
- Indeed.
00:20:45.680 --> 00:20:48.920
I never looked at the world in that light.
00:20:53.800 --> 00:21:01.640
When I was like eight or ten years old,
all of this was mangroves.
00:21:01.760 --> 00:21:07.120
The sea was a sea of mangroves.
00:21:07.240 --> 00:21:12.960
What happened to those mangroves?
- We cut them down.
00:21:13.080 --> 00:21:17.880
And when you cut down mangroves,
they stop growing.
00:21:18.000 --> 00:21:23.520
And then the sea will get close, right?
- Yes, especially during hurricanes.
00:21:24.920 --> 00:21:30.440
You have a great view.
- I do. Look, you can see the mountains.
00:21:30.560 --> 00:21:34.720
That is the mainland.
- Yes, that's the mainland.
00:21:34.840 --> 00:21:36.440
That is the mainland.
00:21:45.080 --> 00:21:48.400
We have the sound of coconut grating...
00:21:48.520 --> 00:21:54.560
...and of the parakeets.
They represent traditional family roles.
00:21:54.680 --> 00:21:59.200
A Guna leader is always a man.
00:21:59.320 --> 00:22:01.560
We have a sewing machine.
00:22:02.680 --> 00:22:04.720
This is the sound of denial.
00:22:04.840 --> 00:22:07.400
There's nothing wrong here.
00:22:07.520 --> 00:22:10.640
I feel so happy
00:22:10.760 --> 00:22:13.640
We have a song about happiness.
- I am so happy
00:22:13.760 --> 00:22:15.920
And a woman hitting the waves.
00:22:16.040 --> 00:22:19.720
God will help me.
- So happy.
00:22:19.840 --> 00:22:22.240
But who gave us that other sea sound...
00:22:22.360 --> 00:22:24.640
...that was so reassuring?
00:22:30.000 --> 00:22:33.800
All of this was part of the island?
- This used to be land.
00:22:33.920 --> 00:22:37.800
And when did it flood?
- I don't know exactly...
00:22:37.920 --> 00:22:41.920
...but my granddad told me
it was in the late 1980s or mid-'90s.
00:22:42.040 --> 00:22:47.520
When he bought the island,
all of this was part of the island.
00:22:49.760 --> 00:22:54.120
This is a clear example
of climate change.
00:22:54.240 --> 00:22:57.200
If the water continues to rise like this...
00:22:57.320 --> 00:23:02.360
...the islanders will have to move
to the mainland.
00:23:02.480 --> 00:23:07.040
I would rather stay here.
00:23:07.160 --> 00:23:10.640
Life on the islands is better.
00:23:10.760 --> 00:23:15.320
Here you have the sea with its riches.
You don't have that there.
00:23:15.440 --> 00:23:19.240
On the mainland
the modernisation will start.
00:23:19.360 --> 00:23:23.680
Electrical appliances,
modern technology...
00:23:23.800 --> 00:23:31.240
It's different. I know, because I lived
in the city for 40 years.
00:23:31.360 --> 00:23:35.200
I've been here two months
and life is different.
00:23:35.320 --> 00:23:39.400
Are you happier here?
- Yes, it's radically different.
00:23:39.520 --> 00:23:44.400
At home or downtown, I constantly
had my phone in my hand.
00:23:44.520 --> 00:23:48.640
Here, I don't. Here, I do some raking,
I look around...
00:23:48.760 --> 00:23:54.320
...I chat with fishermen or I take a walk.
Here I have distractions...
00:23:54.440 --> 00:23:59.760
...that keep me from being glued
to a screen all day long.
00:24:01.960 --> 00:24:05.360
The island has just one owner.
- Who?
00:24:05.480 --> 00:24:10.000
My grandfather,
who is also my foster father.
00:24:10.120 --> 00:24:14.400
He bought it?
- Yes, in the 1980s.
00:24:14.520 --> 00:24:19.520
In the '70s, it was a mangrove forest.
The sea split it in two.
00:24:19.640 --> 00:24:23.200
At high tide, the water reaches the trees.
00:24:23.320 --> 00:24:28.480
Did your foster father invest well or not?
- I hope well...
00:24:28.600 --> 00:24:35.040
...because we're now investing money
to make the island attractive for tourists.
00:24:35.160 --> 00:24:39.680
We are trying to get
all the necessary permits.
00:24:39.800 --> 00:24:44.400
Despite the risk of the rising water,
you're investing?
00:24:44.520 --> 00:24:49.280
Sure. The facilities and foundations
are nearly done.
00:24:49.400 --> 00:24:53.400
Brave.
- We'll see how long we can continue.
00:24:55.280 --> 00:25:00.360
Are you Guna?
- A mestizo. Dad is Latino, mum's Guna.
00:25:00.480 --> 00:25:04.040
Do you feel Guna?
- That's why I'm here.
00:25:04.160 --> 00:25:07.880
Else I would be working
at home in Panama.
00:25:08.000 --> 00:25:13.520
I came here to see how we can make
granddad's island profitable.
00:25:14.640 --> 00:25:16.680
Brave.
00:25:27.000 --> 00:25:31.360
Traditionally the islands were uninhabited.
00:25:31.480 --> 00:25:35.800
The Guna lived along a river
on the mainland.
00:25:37.600 --> 00:25:39.560
I have a map.
00:25:39.680 --> 00:25:46.280
500 years ago we lived
along the banks of this river.
00:25:46.400 --> 00:25:49.160
Is this Colombia?
- The border area.
00:25:49.280 --> 00:25:53.560
The islands were empty.
- Why did you leave the river?
00:25:53.680 --> 00:25:58.040
When the Spaniards came,
we had to move here.
00:25:58.160 --> 00:26:03.240
We had to flee.
The Spaniards wanted to kill us.
00:26:03.360 --> 00:26:11.400
Colonisers brought their diseases,
arms, and their Bible.
00:26:11.520 --> 00:26:13.440
Yes, exactly.
00:26:13.560 --> 00:26:20.320
So, that's when you moved to the islands.
- We could live in peace here.
00:26:20.440 --> 00:26:25.560
You must have liked the islands.
- We're used to them.
00:26:25.680 --> 00:26:28.720
You found paradise.
- Exactly.
00:26:28.840 --> 00:26:36.120
There's a lot of fish, it's very quiet,
and there's always a nice breeze.
00:26:41.000 --> 00:26:44.480
I'm trying to record the wind.
00:26:44.600 --> 00:26:46.720
'Burwa'.
- Burwa?
00:26:46.840 --> 00:26:53.880
Yes. Burwa means: breeze, wind.
00:26:54.000 --> 00:26:59.200
If your body doesn't get air, you will die.
00:26:59.320 --> 00:27:04.920
So, the wind is what makes you happy?
- Yes, the wind is nice.
00:27:09.920 --> 00:27:14.240
The wind is the sound
of the discovered paradise...
00:27:14.360 --> 00:27:18.200
...that the Guna
want to keep for themselves.
00:27:18.320 --> 00:27:24.160
According to their rules, an island always
has to be the property of a Guna.
00:27:25.720 --> 00:27:29.400
Foreign investors are not welcome here.
00:27:29.520 --> 00:27:33.720
Tourists are hosted
on special tourist islands.
00:27:33.840 --> 00:27:38.480
But some think the tourists
should have stayed away...
00:27:38.600 --> 00:27:41.840
...because they destroy the islands.
00:27:41.960 --> 00:27:48.640
Our God did not want more strangers
to come here.
00:27:50.880 --> 00:27:52.960
They keep on coming.
00:27:54.280 --> 00:27:58.440
As a result, all of us are changing.
00:27:58.560 --> 00:28:04.320
Is tourism changing the Guna culture?
- Yes.
00:28:05.560 --> 00:28:10.360
And it's also the reason
the climate is changing.
00:28:10.480 --> 00:28:13.120
We will be punished.
00:28:13.240 --> 00:28:20.000
You think, because the Guna culture
is changing, the sea will punish you?
00:28:20.120 --> 00:28:23.200
Yes, that might well be possible.
00:28:32.520 --> 00:28:35.840
Hold that to your...
- To my ear?
00:28:40.200 --> 00:28:43.360
Sometimes you hear the sea in it.
00:28:43.480 --> 00:28:47.720
You love the sound of the sea.
- Yes, I do.
00:28:47.840 --> 00:28:50.400
The waves.
- Yes, the waves.
00:28:56.840 --> 00:28:59.240
Do you hear it?
00:29:06.960 --> 00:29:09.600
All that screaming.
00:29:09.720 --> 00:29:15.320
The Latin American tourists
make a racket. The Latinos.
00:29:15.440 --> 00:29:21.120
Like those Latino tourists.
They drink and they yell a lot.
00:29:22.160 --> 00:29:25.680
And you can't hear the sea any more.
- No.
00:29:35.640 --> 00:29:40.840
I came to these islands
to record the sounds of the Guna.
00:29:40.960 --> 00:29:46.520
And to show them
they will be up to their necks in water.
00:29:46.640 --> 00:29:49.960
But how would that benefit them?
00:29:50.080 --> 00:29:55.280
My flight to visit them with my recorder,
will make them even worse off.
00:29:57.240 --> 00:30:03.200
Furthermore, most of the Guna did not
seem concerned by the climate.
00:30:04.560 --> 00:30:07.920
So, what was I even doing here?
00:30:08.040 --> 00:30:11.720
Was there anything I could contribute?
00:30:11.840 --> 00:30:15.920
What would be your message
for the people...
00:30:16.040 --> 00:30:20.120
...who do not believe
the water level will rise?
00:30:20.240 --> 00:30:26.960
What would you like to tell them?
In your own language, in Guna.
00:30:28.320 --> 00:30:33.640
They say the sea level is rising...
00:30:33.760 --> 00:30:40.320
...and that our islands will sink.
00:30:40.440 --> 00:30:44.880
And that we will have to move
to the mainland.
00:30:45.000 --> 00:30:48.520
Our creator is not to blame for this.
00:30:48.640 --> 00:30:52.160
We are to blame for this, humanity.
00:30:52.280 --> 00:30:58.600
But most of all, the Europeans with
their big factories are to blame for it.
00:30:58.720 --> 00:31:01.520
Those factories emit gases...
00:31:01.640 --> 00:31:06.960
...that warm the earth
and cause the ice to melt.
00:31:07.080 --> 00:31:10.640
The melting ice turns into water...
00:31:10.760 --> 00:31:15.480
...which causes the sea levels to rise.
00:31:15.600 --> 00:31:21.720
The water can't go anywhere, because
the seafloor does not have a drain.
00:31:21.840 --> 00:31:26.400
It's like somebody closed the drain...
00:31:26.520 --> 00:31:30.320
...and this causes the sea level to rise.
00:31:30.440 --> 00:31:36.560
Let's not blame our creator
for this problem.
00:31:36.680 --> 00:31:39.960
The rich carry most of the blame.
00:31:41.760 --> 00:31:47.080
What he says, hits the nail on the head.
00:31:48.600 --> 00:31:51.200
I always say to people:
00:31:53.160 --> 00:31:57.440
Who will destroy the world?
00:31:57.560 --> 00:32:02.600
God will not destroy the world.
God would not do that.
00:32:02.720 --> 00:32:08.120
We are the ones
who are destroying the world.
00:32:08.240 --> 00:32:12.560
Without the sea, air, fire and oxygen...
00:32:12.680 --> 00:32:15.240
...we cannot survive.
00:32:15.360 --> 00:32:21.720
But the Europeans and North Americans
are clear cutting everything.
00:32:21.840 --> 00:32:26.600
There are hardly any trees left.
Trees are our people.
00:32:26.720 --> 00:32:30.240
They are our brothers and our sisters.
00:32:30.360 --> 00:32:32.280
Trees are life.
00:32:32.400 --> 00:32:38.360
When a tree is alone, it sounds like this...
00:32:42.800 --> 00:32:45.920
Because it sways.
00:32:46.040 --> 00:32:48.840
Trees talk to each other.
00:32:48.960 --> 00:32:51.240
They bump into each other.
00:32:52.960 --> 00:32:57.840
And what do they tell each other?
- They talk like we do.
00:32:57.960 --> 00:33:02.240
What do they say?
- No idea, but they talk.
00:33:02.360 --> 00:33:06.360
I see talking about trees
makes you emotional.
00:33:06.480 --> 00:33:09.520
You have tears in your eyes.
00:33:11.800 --> 00:33:16.280
Why?
- It moves me.
00:33:19.040 --> 00:33:22.960
Because you love them?
- Please, man.
00:33:24.320 --> 00:33:28.520
They're not cared for.
You chop them down.
00:33:31.360 --> 00:33:34.080
You have so much industry.
00:33:34.200 --> 00:33:39.000
You need money. All those millionaires...
Why?
00:33:40.560 --> 00:33:47.000
You need money. We don't need money.
We just want to live our lives.
00:33:47.120 --> 00:33:49.560
And have enough to eat.
00:33:49.680 --> 00:33:54.560
It's so nice to meet a man
who gets so moved by nature.
00:33:56.000 --> 00:33:57.920
Thank you, sir.
00:34:19.760 --> 00:34:21.960
You chop them down.
00:34:23.160 --> 00:34:30.120
I imagined the palm lecturing me with
big words like 'cognitive dissonance'.
00:34:35.120 --> 00:34:42.080
And that it would tell me that I, with
my carbon footprint, would be its death.
00:34:43.560 --> 00:34:49.960
And that I had count how many trees
were felled for the new development.
00:34:52.800 --> 00:34:57.880
And that it would lecture me about the
CO2 emissions of the cement industry.
00:34:58.000 --> 00:35:01.320
But then, I would protest and say:
00:35:01.440 --> 00:35:05.640
No palm tree, I did not build
those houses there.
00:35:05.760 --> 00:35:08.920
I am just here to record sounds.
00:35:10.080 --> 00:35:12.760
I'm recording the sounds.
00:35:12.880 --> 00:35:19.320
How many homes are they building?
- 300 homes for 300 families.
00:35:19.440 --> 00:35:20.920
Are you Guna?
00:35:21.040 --> 00:35:25.680
I am one of the beneficiaries
of this project.
00:35:25.800 --> 00:35:29.840
As I am from the island of Gardi Sugdub...
00:35:29.960 --> 00:35:35.720
...my family is one
of the 300 families that will move here.
00:35:35.840 --> 00:35:40.520
Are you a supervisor?
- Yes, I work for the builders.
00:35:40.640 --> 00:35:43.880
We started this project in 2020.
00:35:44.000 --> 00:35:49.200
It is a government project
called 'Roofs of Hope'.
00:35:49.320 --> 00:35:54.840
From the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
- Are the homes built from metal?
00:35:54.960 --> 00:36:02.840
No, the walls are made of plastic
and they are filled with concrete.
00:36:04.840 --> 00:36:10.520
It makes me a bit sad to consider
how hard the Guna fought...
00:36:10.640 --> 00:36:16.200
...to preserve their culture,
but in a while, they will live here.
00:36:16.320 --> 00:36:18.960
This is a pilot project.
00:36:19.080 --> 00:36:25.280
For the first time
the Guna community will move...
00:36:25.400 --> 00:36:27.480
To the mainland.
- Yes.
00:36:27.600 --> 00:36:31.120
There are two reasons for that:
00:36:31.240 --> 00:36:36.320
Overpopulation and climate change.
00:36:36.440 --> 00:36:39.760
OK? That is why they're moving.
00:36:39.880 --> 00:36:45.920
They have no choice.
- Exactly. They'll have a better life here.
00:36:48.480 --> 00:36:54.240
They have no other choice but to live
in a plastic home on the mainland.
00:36:54.360 --> 00:36:58.360
The hammer is the sound
of the inevitable consequence.
00:36:58.480 --> 00:37:00.760
I am so happy
00:37:00.880 --> 00:37:05.200
Will they hear a song about nature here
next year?
00:37:05.320 --> 00:37:06.760
so happy
00:37:06.880 --> 00:37:10.640
In 20 years, will women wear
traditional clothing here?
00:37:10.760 --> 00:37:14.680
And where to hang your hammock?
00:37:14.800 --> 00:37:21.920
With that in mind, we arrive at this story's
last sound: a sleep-inducing maraca.
00:37:36.600 --> 00:37:41.560
The government is building
a neighbourhood with new houses.
00:37:41.680 --> 00:37:45.760
For those who want to move
to the mainland.
00:37:45.880 --> 00:37:50.280
Do you want to move?
- If they build me a house.
00:37:52.440 --> 00:37:56.840
If the house is free?
- Yes, then I would move.
00:37:58.080 --> 00:38:02.480
I could not move otherwise.
I have no money.
00:38:02.600 --> 00:38:07.040
Would you like to move there?
- Yes, I sure would.
00:38:07.160 --> 00:38:11.080
This is your chance to tell the supervisor.
00:38:11.200 --> 00:38:16.440
If the house is free,
I will move over there.
00:38:16.560 --> 00:38:22.040
I am a woman with five children
and I'm not married.
00:38:22.160 --> 00:38:27.080
So, if the house is free,
I will move over there.
00:38:27.200 --> 00:38:32.120
I would like a home.
Preferably a big house...
00:38:32.240 --> 00:38:40.240
...because my children have children
of their own. They will move with me.
00:38:40.360 --> 00:38:45.360
So, if the house is free,
I will gladly move over there.
00:38:45.480 --> 00:38:50.600
Unfortunately everybody
hears about these homes.
00:38:50.720 --> 00:38:55.800
Because of social media
which anyone can access.
00:38:55.920 --> 00:39:03.160
The people who have been assigned
a home, visit every Sunday.
00:39:03.280 --> 00:39:09.280
They post their pictures online.
- That is how the news spreads.
00:39:09.400 --> 00:39:12.920
I can tell them this is a pilot project.
00:39:13.040 --> 00:39:18.960
So, if they are considering
moving to such a project...
00:39:19.080 --> 00:39:22.320
...we will gladly work with them.
00:39:22.440 --> 00:39:24.560
We're ready to help them.
00:39:24.680 --> 00:39:28.840
Originally, we lived on the mainland,
not the islands.
00:39:28.960 --> 00:39:34.320
So, in fact we're returning to our roots,
our mainland roots.
00:39:34.440 --> 00:39:40.840
We're looking for solutions, so,
we're also building traditional homes.
00:39:40.960 --> 00:39:42.520
Welcome.
00:39:45.080 --> 00:39:49.640
My ancestors already lived
on the mainland.
00:39:49.760 --> 00:39:51.600
They lived inland.
00:39:51.720 --> 00:39:57.240
But when they saw these palm-filled
islands, they moved here.
00:39:57.360 --> 00:39:59.280
We grew up here...
00:39:59.400 --> 00:40:05.920
...but it won't be a problem for us
to live on the mainland again.
00:40:06.040 --> 00:40:12.120
So, as far as I'm concerned,
I could live there. I could live there.
00:40:12.240 --> 00:40:16.600
Are you happy with his message?
Is it what you hoped for?
00:40:16.720 --> 00:40:21.600
Yes, but the all homes
have already been assigned.
00:40:23.200 --> 00:40:27.600
So, now we'll just wait
until the water comes.
00:40:30.440 --> 00:40:34.240
To wait for the water.
There's nothing more they can do.
00:40:34.360 --> 00:40:40.080
Of course, the palm tree lectured us:
There's nothing more you can do.
00:40:40.200 --> 00:40:44.000
It's too late now.
All of you were caught napping.
00:40:52.600 --> 00:40:55.200
You got him to fall asleep?
- Yes.
00:40:56.600 --> 00:41:00.160
Some babies can be lulled to sleep
with a maraca...
00:41:00.280 --> 00:41:04.160
...and others prefer to fall asleep
on your chest.
00:41:08.440 --> 00:41:13.840
In the next episode of Between
the Americas we go to the mainland.
00:41:13.960 --> 00:41:15.920
How will life sound there?
00:41:22.320 --> 00:41:24.720
for El Chorrillo and Panama
00:41:24.840 --> 00:41:29.720
Why don't you want to escape
from poverty?
00:41:38.320 --> 00:41:44.200
For more information about this series,
visit vpro.nl/tussendeamerikas.
Distributor: Pragda Films
Length: 42 minutes
Date: 2023
Genre: Expository
Language: Dutch; Spanish
Grade: Middle School, High School, College, Adult
Color/BW:
Closed Captioning: Available
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