DocFest: Runa Simi
October 17, 2025
A charismatic Peruvian voice actor and his son embark on an extraordinary quest: to dub Disney’s The Lion King into their native language of Quechua, the most widely spoken Indigenous language in South America.
SIFF year-round passes and vouchers are not valid for DocFest screenings.
Fernando Valencia, an Indigenous voice actor and single father from Cusco, Peru, became a viral sensation by dubbing beloved animated clips into Quechua — an endangered yet still widely spoken language in South America. Now, Fernando dreams of an ambitious new goal — to dub Disney’s The Lion King into Quechua, reclaiming a global classic in the language of his ancestors. What began as a playful project with his son Dylan quickly transforms into a full-fledged mission: a joyful act of preservation, identity, and pride. With rare tenderness and warmth, director Augusto Zegarra documents Fernando’s cultural mission, capturing each step as he assembles a voice cast, pursues financial support, and confronts the barriers of Hollywood gatekeeping, all while balancing the joys and responsibilities of fatherhood. Both intimate and expansive, Runa Simi is a buoyant and heartfelt portrait of resilience, cultural pride, and the transformative power of language.
- Director: Augusto Zegarra
- Principal Cast: Fernando Valencia, Dylan Valencia
- Country: Peru
- Year: 2025
- Running Time: 86 min.
- Producer: Claudia Chávez Lévano, Paloma Iturriaga
- Cinematographers: Renzo Rivas
- Editors: Carlos Rojas
- Music: Pauchi Sasaki
- Awards: Tribeca 2025 (Best New Documentary Director), Lima Film Festival 2025 (Audience Award)
- Language: English, Quechua, Spanish
- Has Subtitles: Yes
- International Sales: Estudio Alaska 88