Reviving an Ancient Language Through Disney’s The Lion King

What would a father do to ensure his child and future generations inherit the language, stories, and cultural identity connecting them to their roots?

In this interview, we sit down with director Augusto Zegarra, protagonist Fernando Valencia, and executive producers Benjamin Bratt and Peter Bratt to discuss the award-winning documentary RUNA SIMI.

The film follows Fernando Valencia, an Indigenous voice artist from Cusco, Peru, on an ambitious mission: dubbing Disney’s The Lion King into Quechua. What begins as a grassroots language-activism project evolves into a deeply moving—and often humorous—exploration of fatherhood, cultural pride, and the vital need for Indigenous language representation on screen. By translating a global cinematic classic, Fernando aims to ensure Quechua remains vibrant, accessible, and beloved by younger generations.

Winner of the Albert Maysles Award for Best New Documentary Director at the Tribeca Film Festival—making it the first Peruvian documentary ever in the festival's official competition—Runa Simi has earned over 30 awards across 60+ global film festivals and marks the first 100% Peruvian documentary to receive a U.S. theatrical release.

THEATRICAL SCREENINGS (LOS ANGELES):
Catch Runa Simi at the Laemmle Monica Film Center in Santa Monica, CA, screening November 6–12. Check theater listings for showtimes and tickets.