Animated film made in Peru: “Ainbo”, the story of a girl who defends the Amazon jungle hits theaters

Animated cinema in Peru has taken a qualitative leap, in part, thanks to co-production work with foreign studios that share their experience and budget with the talent and effort of professionals from our country. This is demonstrated by “Ainbo: the warrior of the Amazon”, the film that will hit movie screens throughout Peru on October 28 and has been made by Tunche Films in co-production with the Netherlands and the United States.

With remarkable technical quality, the film addresses the story of Ainbo, a girl who lives in the Shipiba community of Candamo, in the middle of the Amazon, and who dreams of being a great warrior. Her community is affected by the curse of the tunche, an evil spirit of the jungle, and Ainbo embarks on an adventure to find a way to counteract the damage. Along the way, she is accompanied by her guiding spirits: Dillo, a friendly armadillo, and Vaca, a tapir. Both are a magical and Amazonian version of Timon and Pumbaa.

‘Ainbo’ means ‘woman’ in shipibo konibo, and the protagonist certainly fulfills the destiny that her name has assigned to her during the adventure she undertakes. On the journey, the heroine grows up and faces her fears at every turn. Although the epic may decline at times, the charisma of the characters sustains a story in which Ainbo’s curiosity will lead her to face and learn, albeit in a tangential and unconventional way, the terrible problem of deforestation in the Amazon.

In the same path of heroines like Moana, Ainbo fulfills his purpose with bravery, innocence and angel. The director of the film, José Zelada, says that the personality of this great little warrior is inspired by that of her own mother, a woman who was born and grew up in the Amazon and who knew how to pass on magic, tradition and wisdom to her children. ancestral that our jungle and its people treasure. The film was co-directed by German director Richard Claus.

From the creation of the script to the arrival in theaters, three years have passed. A time that became brief thanks to the co-production work. “Although the film presents the jungle as a fantastic dream, we have tried to be very respectful of the aesthetics of its art, the landscape and its way of living and seeing the world,” says Zelada. In fact, to have a direct graphic reference, the team carried out a previous investigation and went into the Amazon. Thus, before being released in theaters, the film was officially presented in the Santa Teresita native community, in Pucallpa.

“Ainbo” has already been released abroad with quite positive reviews, and Tunche Films hopes that the success will be repeated in our theaters. Meanwhile, her next film is on the way: “Cayara”, the story of a girl who lives in the time of the Inca and who wants to be a chasqui. “If Ainbo brings up the theme of the Amazon and the empowerment of girls, Kayara will talk about gender equality in the Inca Empire. Peru has a very rich history that we can explore in the cinema”, says Zelada, convinced that this is his path.

This note was published in October 2021 regarding the commercial premiere of “Ainbo”. It has been updated in May 2022