The people of Guna Yala are strong, beautiful, nurturing, amicable, and tuned to the songs of life by the sea. Having lived in Guna Yala myself several years ago I had a very close connection with this documentary which was masterfully shot and edited by Elliot Blumberg, and I was honored to provide the score.

“Armila is a 600-person village in the indigenous Guna Yala region of Panama. Regional pride is ubiquitous, but as Western customs, technologies and ideals are adopted by the people, parts of their culture erode under economic and technological pressures. No one opposes access to vaccines, electricity or more durable building materials, but exposure to mass media, plastic and the almighty dollar has forever changed the ancient culture in just a few short decades.

This film explores the tension points between indigenous and Western culture in this community – it juxtaposes the dualities that exist in the village and measures the impact of their collision on Guna society and the surrounding environment.”