‘Runa Simi’: About One Man’s Quest to Dub ‘The Lion King’ into Quechua
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- Runa Simi earned its 19th award, the Alternativa Film Festival’s Focus Award, on April 30, with a cash prize.
- Augusto Zegarra spent nine years filming the documentary, but secured a Sundance Lab grant and Peruvian government funding.
- Fernando Valencia launched the viral “Quechua Clips” series, re‑dubbing iconic animated scenes into Quechua and drawing millions of viewers.
- The Lion King is the target of Valencia’s full Quechua dub, a project that has faced repeated rejections from Disney’s rights department.
- Alternativa Film Festival presented the Focus Award to Runa Simi, marking the film’s 19th festival honor.
- Palm Springs Festival awarded Runa Simi the Ibero‑American Film honor, the first Peruvian feature to do so.
- Sundance Lab provided a grant that helped complete the documentary after a two‑year COVID‑19 production halt.
Why it matters: Indigenous Quechua speakers gain cultural visibility as Runa Simi’s 19 awards attract distribution deals, spurring Quechua language revitalization and new market opportunities for Indigenous content.
