Allpa Ukundi, Ñukanchi Pura: Underground, Around, & Among Us
Allpa Ukundi, Ñukanchi Pura: Underground, Around, & Among Us is a documentary which tells the story of an interdisciplinary effort to weave Indigenous and Western ways of knowing in defense of Kawsak Sacha, or the Living Forest.
Allpa Ukundi, Ñukanchi Pura: Underground, Around, & Among Us tells the story of a remarkable collaboration between the Kichwa Indigenous People of Sarayaku in the Ecuadorian Amazon and an international community of scientists, artists, and advocates. Together, they have joined forces through the Science Across Cultures Initiative (SACI)—an effort to weave Indigenous and Western ways of knowing in defense of Kawsak Sacha, or the Living Forest.
Launched in 2024, SACI brings together Sarayaku leaders; the NYU MOTH Program; musician and field recordist Cosmo Sheldrake; the Fungi Foundation; the Society for the Protection of Underground Networks (SPUN); and Local Contexts, an organization advancing Indigenous data sovereignty. Through mycology and sound, this diverse group explores the invisible networks and forces that sustain the forest—and what it means to listen, study, and protect them together.
In September 2024, SACI gathered in Sarayaku territory to document the fungal life beneath the soil and the rich soundscapes of the jungle. These recordings are more than data—they are evidence of the forest’s living intelligence, created to strengthen Sarayaku’s ongoing legal and political efforts to defend their territory and the rights of Kawsak Sacha. To safeguard the knowledge shared and generated, the team worked with Local Contexts to ensure that the Sarayaku retain full sovereignty over their data and stories.
Allpa Ukundi, Ñukanchi Pura is a journey into the unseen worlds that connect us all—a story of solidarity, respect, and renewal. It invites viewers to look below the surface, to listen deeply to the forest, and to imagine new ways of understanding the life underground, around, and among us.
Viewing of the film is currently limited due to restrictions imposed by film festivals to which Allpa Ukundi, Ñukanchi Pura will be submitted. If you have any questions about the film, please email [email protected].
