This is whereWings of Dust, the story of Vidal Merma, a Quechua Indigenous journalist, begins.
But what does this moment of intensified spotlight ultimately lead to?
Wings of Dustis a powerful portrait of Vidal and his communitys fight against mining companies.
What has been the reaction to the documentary so far?
Ghiotto: Vidal, as youve seen, is a journalist that fights against pollution in his village.
He fights really, really hard.
Hes very committed to this.
The only problem is that he is a lone wolf.
It was really powerful.
It was really beautiful.
Ghiotto: One thing that is very good is that, yes, this can indeed have an impact.
At the same time, this brought me to truly reflect about the word itself: Impact.
Lots of filmmakers think that just by raising awareness, they are making a positive impact.
They dont really care too much about the true impact that they are making.
They just care about, sometimes, the awards.
The awards are amazing, but theyre not enough.
Just talking about this is not enough.
you’re gonna wanna truly understand how the film can impact Vidal.
Everything happened so quickly.
But Im definitely very happy that now Vidal is able to study abroad and work on his new projects.
If you could go back, what would you change?
And it was amazing to see people talking about a situation that nobody even knew about.
So it was really, really amazing, just in terms of visibility.
So for people watchingWings of Dustin the States.
What are actionable steps we can take to make a positive impact?
The best way to make an impact is to go to the people that are in need.
Why did Vidals story resonate with you?
Ghiotto: So two things.
The main thing that resonated with me is when I was with [Vidal] in the car.
And as you watch in the beginning of the movie, it starts with a dream.
He keeps saying, I used to dream that I was flying over these wide and infinite mountains.
We all dream about our problems: bills, arguments, anxiety.
[Vidal] is somebody that actually dreams about flying over the mountains.
The second thing, of course, is the resistance and the resilience in front of adversity.
When you were making the film, what did you want to highlight the most?
Was it that resilience and that pureness he dreamed of?
Or was it something in between or something else?
It was the relationship with his son, Erik.
I didnt even realize that I was focusing on that until I was editing.
His true motivation is his son.
The fact that he wakes up in the morning and risks his life.
You might think that hes selfish.
So definitely, it was the relationship between a father and a son.
Even the person that thinksclimate changeis bullshit, they will always, always relate as fathers.
Thats something that brings us all together.
I think that was the element that brings everything together.
At what point did you realize that focusing on Vidals relationship with his son was the most important part?
Ghiotto: The birthday party.
Behind the hug, there is humanity.
We dont ever look at the people that are already suffering because of [these issues].
Vidal and his son remind us that all these issues are made about people.
Theyre not made of ideologies.
Vidal, some of the most emotional parts in the film were the scenes with your son.
One that stands out is when you and your family celebrate his birthday.
You often bring your son with you throughout your activism work.
Why is that so important for him to see you champion your community?
Merma: I think he needs to learn so he can continue with my work and legacy.
Thats why I always bring him, so he can learn from a young, young age.
What do you think it means to your son seeing you do the work and moving forward?
What could possibly mean for the next generation?
Merma: At his school, he shares the experiences of the work we do.
Last year, when I wasnt well, he made a short film about this issue with his classmates.
Hes involved his friends and classmates.
He leads and is part of this group of young people, and I think thats so important.
Merma: Its not just about me becoming a journalist thats well-known.
But really, I hope my work can create real change in my country, in indigenous communities.
But also, I want my work to help the problem in Latin America.
Thats my dream: to help everyone get there.
Id love to work for an international publication so our work reaches other regions.
Thats one of my dreams.
Do you still dream of flying?
Merma: Ive always dreamed of flying.
Thats what keeps me going and makes me strong.
We can change so many things and I keep that hope.
I always dream of flying and to see that change come true.
For anyone wanting to donate to Vidal directly,hey click here.
Parts of this interview have been translated from Spanish to English and edited for length and clarity.
