Growing up in one of the most powerful nonviolent land-defense movements in the world, a young Indigenous girl, Estefanie, absorbs the struggle of her people to protect their territory in war-torn Colombia. As violence resurges and Estefanie witnesses the deaths of many of their leaders, her mom must teach her.
SYNOPSIS
Since she could walk, Estefanie has donned the insignia of the nonviolent resistance movement that defines her life – red and green for blood and land. Growing up in the most dangerous country in the world for environmental defenders, her mom, Alicia, raised her as the first child to participate in the Indigenous guard, the grassroots force protecting their territory from armed groups seeking control. Her gleeful imagination prevails against a ceaseless war. As Estefanie grows up from age 6-13, she develops a deeper understanding of the violence that shapes her childhood. We began filming in early 2018 as armed conflict was returning to their territory in Cauca with the failed promise of Colombia’s historic peace accord. Assassinations of social leaders exploded, and members of the guard became targets like never before. At age seven, Estefanie witnessed the aftermath of a massacre that killed five members of the guard from their community. Alicia, facing death threats like every other leader from their movement, was forced to grapple with a profound question as a mother: prioritize her and her daughter’s safety, or remain committed to the Indigenous Guard and teach young Estefanie the courage of seeing one’s life as inherently bound to the collective. A feminine portrait of war and resilience through the prism of motherhood, the documentary shows the relational forces that hold people together for a cause, bound to an ancestral struggle "until forever."
Director Statement
I entered filmmaking through solidarity work in movement spaces. Growing up in the Pacific Northwest, I was taught to love the earth through a lens of "wilderness," overlooking the land's original peoples. My understanding of environmentalism deepened when I embedded with grassroots Indigenous movements in Latin America as a journalist and witnessed the ongoing violence of colonization against the earth. As a filmmaker, I aim to inspire fellow environmental advocates to align with frontline communities resisting threats to their lands and waters.
The Indigenous movement in Cauca, Colombia, has taught me that hope is not a passive emotion, but an action fought for day by day, generation after generation, from the implacable belief that another world is possible. I believe the world desperately needs that message of collective resilience.
ABOUT FILMMAKER(S)
Hanna Wallis
Hanna Wallis is a filmmaker and journalist whose work focuses on land defenders in the Americas. She produces video and multimedia content for organizations dedicated to protecting Indigenous rights such as The Christensen Fund, Nia Tero, and CLIMA Fund, working to shift the philanthropic world toward a solidarity model with frontline movements. She earned her M.A. in Global Journalism and Latin American Studies from NYU. Hanna is an International Women’s Media Fellow whose work has been featured in major outlets including The Washington Post, The Nation, Al Jazeera, and others. Until Forever is her first feature film.
RELATED LINKS
PROMOTE THIS PROJECT
Put a donation widget on your site. Click here for code.
ABOUT YOUR DONATION
Women Make Movies (WMM), Inc. is a 501(c)(3) non-profit media arts organization registered with the New York Charities Bureau of New York State and accepts charitable donations on behalf of this project. Your donation will be spent by the filmmaker(s) toward the production and completion of this media project. No services or goods are provided by Women Make Movies, the filmmaker(s) or anyone else associated with this project in exchange for your charitable donation.
Your contributions are tax deductible to the fullest extent of the law, and a confirmation of your donation will be sent via email. WMM will send you an acknowledgement letter in the mail to the address listed for tax purposes.