ZONA WAO
WAO ZONE
Nagore Eceiza Mujika / Spain / 2024 / 25 min / Colour
The exploitation of oil resources in the Amazon jeopardizes not only the biodiversity of this vital ecosystem, but also the very survival of Indigenous peoples like the Waorani. For more than five decades, both national and international oil companies have ravaged large swaths of rainforest in their pursuit of crude oil, forcing entire Indigenous communities to leave their ancestral lands. Displaced from their homes and traditional ways of life, they now live in overcrowded and destitute reserves, established with the backing of the Ecuadorian government. In these new conditions, they are left to fish in rivers contaminated by the oil companies, consuming toxic food with devastating effects on their health. Through stark interviews and powerful firsthand accounts, the documentary exposes yet another story of abuse, injustice, and exploitation—one that mirrors countless others in regions plundered for profit.
Nagore Eceiza Mujika
A director, editor, and cinematographer, she founded El Santo Films, producing documentaries and offering technical services for audiovisual productions. Deeply engaged with social documentary, she has worked on projects in Newfoundland, the Ecuadorian Amazon, Cape Verde, Paris, Algeria, Israel, Ethiopia, Angola, Mozambique, Mexico, India, and Puerto Rico.
