Film: RUNA SIMI

Director: Augusto Zegarra
Fernando, a Peruvian single father, sits in an audio-recording room with his young son Dylan, recording voices together from Spanish into Quechua — their indigenous language. Fernando provides careful but spirited direction to Dylan, who nails the specific intonation. What seems as a playful game between a father and son is actually a treasured creative hobby for Fernando, who has dubbed online clips of many animated movies into Quechua. As a voice actor who’s always had an interest in crafting voices and dialects, Fernando uses his platform as a radio host in his native Cusco to create content in Quechua, enabling this language to thrive and not be forgotten. “Our language Quechua,” affirms Fernando, “is like life itself.”
All too quickly, Fernando’s online hobby of dubbing film clips goes viral — and it spurs him to pursue his most ambitious goal yet: fully dub Disney’s animated “The Lion King” into Quechua. The creative hobby now becomes a real cultural endeavor.
Augusto Zegarra’s buoyant first feature Runa Simi delivers a big-hearted and emotionally-resonant story, anchored by a captivating exploration of fatherhood and cultural appreciation.—Jose Rodriguez | Tribeca Film Festival
Running Time: 81M

Tickets: $10 at: https://events.humanitix.com/pjds-fall25-runa-simi
Or buy a season pass, $58 for all seven 2025 fall films, at: https://events.humanitix.com/pjds-fall25-regular-pass

You may also like the following events from Port Jefferson Documentary Series:

• Next Thursday, 25th September, 07:00 pm, Film: CRACKING THE CODE (narrated by Mark Ruffalo) + Q&A w/Subject Nobel Laureate, Dr. Phil Sharp! in Port Jefferson
• Next month, 9th October, 07:00 pm, Film: BETWEEN THE MOUNTAIN AND THE SKY in Port Jefferson
• Next month, 16th October, 07:00 pm, Film: SHE RUNS THE WORLD + Q&A w/Producer of the Film in Port Jefferson

Also check out other Entertainment events in Port Jefferson, Festivals in Port Jefferson, Arts events in Port Jefferson.