Tejiendo sombras

This documentary aims to decipher the vernacular of Peru's living hat culture before it is forgotten. Each village shows itself through subtle signs on its hat: flowers, pompoms, sequins and colors are legible forms of communication. Following different communities along the Andes, from Puno to Cajamarca, we find rituals, legends, secrets and conflicts that only a hat can show.

In the Andes, one’s hat speaks volumes about the identity of its owner- but what of the silenced voices of its makers?

The Story

Along the Peruvian Andes a network of encoded messages is woven into every hat. The testimonies of all those dedicated to the millinery craft share how wool and straw become forms of communication and resistance.

Context

Peruvian straw and wool are symbolic heirlooms, which transcend the material. Collective transformation of raw materials is a way of life. Each pueblo displays their coat of arms through subtle cues atop their head- legible only to those who can interpret this unique dialect. What can the language of hats teach us about how we display our sense of identity and continuity with our heritage? Especially when indigenous traditions are increasingly endangered.

Where did this story come from?

Director Erica Nguyen is a first generation Vietnamese-American who grew up learning Spanish as a California kid. The outsider diaspora coupled with loss of cultural identity, particularly around language, propelled this project and the questions it asks. Encountering urgent stories of assimilation in the modern world presents a real need for understanding the past; as well as creating space for belonging in the present.

Following the film screening, the 'New Mexico Filmmakers' round table will be held.