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Featured Films (in alphabetical order):
- An Eye for the Land (OC)
- Gringo Cofan (OC)
- Tipping Points are Irreversible (no Dialog)
Total run time: 103 minutes
GRINGO COFÁN is an intimate portrait of Randy Borman’s extraordinary life. Born in 1955 in the Ecuadorian Amazon and raised among the Cofán people, Randy was the son of American missionaries who grew up fully immersed in Cofán culture, adopting their language, worldview, and deep connection to nature as part of his own identity. Welcomed by the Cofán as one of their own, his upbringing shaped a multicultural perspective that would define the course of his life. Through this character-driven documentary, the audience comes to understand why Randy chose to remain in the Amazon rather than leave for the United States to live a “normal” life. He married a Cofán woman and used his unique multicultural identity to defend what was most sacred to his people: the rainforest. For Randy, the Cofán ancestral land was not just a place to live. It was his home, his community, and his cause. Randy’s story is inseparable from the story of the Cofán. The film offers a window into their life before the arrival of oil companies, and the devastating consequences of exploitation, pollution, loss of ancestral land, colonization, and the forced transformation of a traditional way of life. The viewer is taken to Zábalo, a Cofán community established as a refuge from these disruptions, where they continue to preserve their worldview and way of life in harmony with nature. The documentary also highlights the broader struggles Indigenous communities face in defending their territory and the critical need for organization, education, and resistance. The strength of the film lies in its ability to draw the audience in through the gradual discovery of the unexpected layers that make Randy so compelling. Rather than adhering to a traditional narrative arc, the documentary unfolds in chapters, each revealing a new facet of his life and deepening the viewer’s understanding of this fascinating individual. As the story progresses, viewers become increasingly captivated by the richness of his character and his extraordinary journey. GRINGO COFÁN is also the result of the work of Ecuadorian filmmaker Verónica Moscoso, who, while living in California, returned to her home country to recover Randy’s oral history and document the current struggle of the Cofán people. The film stands as an act of memory, resistance, and tribute to those who dedicate their lives to protecting the rainforest and its cultures.
Featured Films (in alphabetical order):
- An Eye for the Land (OC)
- Gringo Cofan (OC)
- Tipping Points are Irreversible (no Dialog)
Total run time: 103 minutes
GRINGO COFÁN is an intimate portrait of Randy Borman’s extraordinary life. Born in 1955 in the Ecuadorian Amazon and raised among the Cofán people, Randy was the son of American missionaries who grew up fully immersed in Cofán culture, adopting their language, worldview, and deep connection to nature as part of his own identity. Welcomed by the Cofán as one of their own, his upbringing shaped a multicultural perspective that would define the course of his life. Through this character-driven documentary, the audience comes to understand why Randy chose to remain in the Amazon rather than leave for the United States to live a “normal” life. He married a Cofán woman and used his unique multicultural identity to defend what was most sacred to his people: the rainforest. For Randy, the Cofán ancestral land was not just a place to live. It was his home, his community, and his cause. Randy’s story is inseparable from the story of the Cofán. The film offers a window into their life before the arrival of oil companies, and the devastating consequences of exploitation, pollution, loss of ancestral land, colonization, and the forced transformation of a traditional way of life. The viewer is taken to Zábalo, a Cofán community established as a refuge from these disruptions, where they continue to preserve their worldview and way of life in harmony with nature. The documentary also highlights the broader struggles Indigenous communities face in defending their territory and the critical need for organization, education, and resistance. The strength of the film lies in its ability to draw the audience in through the gradual discovery of the unexpected layers that make Randy so compelling. Rather than adhering to a traditional narrative arc, the documentary unfolds in chapters, each revealing a new facet of his life and deepening the viewer’s understanding of this fascinating individual. As the story progresses, viewers become increasingly captivated by the richness of his character and his extraordinary journey. GRINGO COFÁN is also the result of the work of Ecuadorian filmmaker Verónica Moscoso, who, while living in California, returned to her home country to recover Randy’s oral history and document the current struggle of the Cofán people. The film stands as an act of memory, resistance, and tribute to those who dedicate their lives to protecting the rainforest and its cultures.
