Charip: Lightning in the River (Charip: el relámpago del río)

A gold rush threatens to break the sacred pulse of the Amazon. At the confluence of the Kanús and Kankaim rivers in northern Peru, the Wampís Nation faces an imminent struggle for its ancestral territory. As the price of gold soars — driven by the global promise of an energy transition — illegal mining spreads, endangering their lives, their autonomy and the fragile balance of their world.

Since 2017, the Charip Group, the Wampís Indigenous Guard, has navigated rivers and crossed deep forests to dismantle dredges and mining camps. They have turned over intruders to the authorities and stood firm where many remain silent. Yet the invasion persists. Mining continues to advance, contaminating rivers and sowing violence within the communities.

Without effective state support, the Wampís have strengthened their own systems of territorial control — community patrols, environmental monitoring, roadblocks and political advocacy — all guided by tarimat pujut, their principle of living well.

This short film emerges from within, carried by the voices of those who dream and resist. Leaders, guardians and knowledge keepers share vivid images of their land and a struggle that is intimate, urgent and profoundly dignified. A story told from the heart of the rainforest, where every action is a way of protecting what remains.