A film by Wilton Martinez
An encounter between two people whose lives, from opposite sides, were impacted by the “rubber boom” of the early 20th century. Amazonian artist Brus Rubio seeks to reimagine his ancestral culture in the community of Pucaurquillo, an indigenous diaspora of survivors of the rubber genocide. Sheila de Loayza, granddaughter of one of the bosses of rubber baron, Julio C. Arana, tries to find meaning in her painful experience caused by the silencing of her grandfather's crimes. They share their painful memories and look for ways to heal and reconcile with a past that will not cease to disturb them.
Shiringa seeks unveils a disturbing chapter of Peruvian and global history that has been largely ignored and erased from the collective imagination, exposing its traumatic legacy among indigenous peoples who have nonetheless resisted and continue to affirm their culture, and exploring ways of reconciling opposing views and healing historical wounds.
official trailer
protagonists
Brus Rubio Churay
After several years in Lima, Brus returns to his Bora and Murui community in Pucaurquillo, to build his house-workshop, Monilla Ámena, and continue his artistic and cultural work as a leader and active member of the community. We learn about his vision through his testimony, his paintings, his cultural impact and the art workshops he offers to the children of Pucaurquillo.
Sheila de Loayza
Sheila de Loayza is the granddaughter of Miguel Loayza—Julio C. Arana's right-hand man and the founder of Pucaurquillo—and Luzmila Lemos, an indigenous Murui woman with whom Loayza lived and had ten children. Sheila shares her family experience of silencing her grandfather's crimes as well as her search for reconciliation and healing.
Julio C. Arana
Julio C. Arana took over more than a million hectares of land in the Putumayo region and enslaved tens of thousands of indigenous people to exploit them for the extraction of wild rubber. Presenting himself as a "patriot" and a "civilizer," he was responsible, along with Miguel Loayza and other chiefs, for the torture and murder of more than 30,000 men, women, children and elderly.
talent
Ana Varela Tafur
Shiringa is narrated by Ana Varela, famed writer and poet from Iquitos, descendant of the Murui People and winner of the 2023 Peru National literature Prize for Poetry, for her book "Estancias de Emilia Tangoa".
Leonardo Torres Vilar
Also featured is renowned Peruvian actor, Leonardo Torres, as Don Jesús, a character inspired in rubber baron Julio C. Arana in a escene from "Savia", theater play by Luis Alberto León directed by Chela de Ferrari, of Teatro La Plaza.
Karin Zielinski
Soundtrack for Shiringa was composed and interpreted by Karin Zielinski, recognized Peruvian composer, producer and singer. Available in Spotify.
genre & style
Conceived as an ethnohistorical video essay, Shiringa combines various narrative genres and film styles:​​​
cinéma-verité, focused on Brus Rubio and Sheila de Loayza, their families and communities;
dramatized historiography of the events, narrated in the words of its main historical actors, and;​
impressionistic dramatization of the forest as both witness and prey to the rubber baron.
festivals & recognitions
Contra El Silencio Todas Las Voces. XIV Encuentro Hispanoamericano de Cine Documental Independiente | Mexico | Sep. 2026
Official Selection
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Festival Internacional de Cine de los Andes - FICA | Cusco, Peru | August 2026
Official Selection
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DOC.Boston Documentary Film Festival | Boston, United States | July 2026
Official Selection
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4° Festival de Cine Incontrastable - FESTCI | Huancayo, Peru | May 2026
Official Selection
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11º Festival de Cine Pan-Amazónico - Amazônia FiDOC | Belém, Brazil | May 2026
Official Selection
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2° Festival de Cine de la Selva Central - FECISC | Chanchamayo, Peru | April 2026
Honorable Mention
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Golden Lion Best Film Awards | Singapore | Feb. 2026
Best Human Rights Feature Film Award
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12º Festival de Cine de Huánuco - FENACI | Huánuco, Peru | December 2025
Official Selection​
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8º Paraná International Film Festival | Paraná, Argentina | December 2025
Honorable Mention
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8º Festival Internacional de Cine sobre Derechos Humanos “Bajo Nuestra Piel” | Bolivia | Nov. 2025
Official Selection
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9º Festival Internazionale Nebrodi Cinema Doc | Naso, Italy | October 2025
Official Nomination
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Festival Internacional de Cine sobre Derechos Humanos de Guadalajara | Mexico | July 2025
Official Selection
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Muyuna. Festival de Cine Selvático Flotante | Iquitos, Peru | May 2025
Official Selection​​
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