Director's Statement:

As a producer, writer and director of this documentary film project It all started off in April 2022 when I arrived to Guna Yala, an indigenous province in Northeast Panama, for a week of research, without speaking Spanish or the Guna language. I got so inspired that I decided to return later in 2022 to make a documentary film about these interesting indigenous people.
I still could not speak their language or Spanish but still I went there knowing that there are other ways to connect with humans than just through language. I found a way to connect with the people through my cooking skills. Drawing in my 20 years of experience in preparing healthy and nutritious food, I used culinary skills to build trust and support with the indigenous community.

I was fascinated to witness the Guna people, who have their own congress, rules, and laws in Guna Yala, which was uncommon for me as a Phoenician indigenous person to see being born and raised in Sapmí, Lapland, Sweden. In contrast to what I know, the Sámi people in the North of Sweden lives completely different from Indigenous people in Panama.

The eye-opening experience inspired me to weave a parallel narrative through the perspectives of two women representing their respective communities. My intention is to bridge the gap between
these two cultures and countries, fostering exchange and inspiration through this documentary, Independent Indigenous.

Christel Elsayah