Ancestral Secrets (Ep 05: El Dorado)

In Colombia - the northernmost territory of South America - navigators, conquerors, and pirates searched for “El Dorado” for centuries. A treasure that legend said was the most exuberant wealth on the continent. What they never imagined is that they had this treasure in front of their eyes. “El Dorado” is actually the territory: vast in natural riches that today are more important than ever to preserve life on earth. In the Guajira peninsula, on the Caribbean Sea - north of Colombia - the Wayuu protect their ancestral secrets in the hands of women. They still keep alive the tradition of the Sutapaulu period in which the girls who are going to have their first menstruation are kept in strict confinement. The exit is a great party where a new majayura is presented to the community so that she can be sought in marriage. A great celebration is offered where they will dance to the rhythm of the kasha. While the Negedeka family lives in a traditional maloka in the center of the Colombian Amazon. In 2020, the two grandparents who guide the community die as a result of the pandemic. For two nights, in the midst of the Mambe medicine, the Ambil, and the dance, their descendants will say goodbye to the deceased and reorganize the future of the community.