“Guide away the canal, we don't want no canal, Lord Jesus. Protect our home, Lord Jesus. We don't want to lose our home.”

On the radio, they are talking about the planned construction of the nearly 300-kilometre-long El Gran Canal to connect the Atlantic with the Pacific. The voices sound far away, but these plans hold devastating implications for the Indigenous Bangkukuk community in southern Nicaragua. Among the 120,000 people facing forced displacement are Perro and his grandmother. As the older people look to God for help, she too prays for her grandson’s protection while he roams the jungle with his friends, goes fishing and looks after the animals on their small farm. When the local school is closed down, Perro has to go and live with his aunt in the city. Keenly perceptive, this film follows the quiet boy in a tale of inevitable farewell and new beginnings.
by Lin Sternal
with Joshua McCree, Miss Charyl
Germany 2020 Spanish, Miskito, English 79’ Colour World premiere | Documentary form recommendation: 9 years and up

With

  • Joshua McCree
  • Miss Charyl

Crew

Written and Directed by Lin Sternal
Cinematography Julia Hönemann
Editing Iara Rodriguez Vilardebó
Music Sebastian Olschewski
Sound Design Johannes Kunz
Production Manager Stefan Sporbert
Producers Stefan Sporbert, Rüdiger Heinze
Executive Producer Lin Sternal

Lin Sternal

Born in Berlin, Germany in 1987. In 2008, she took up a degree with a focus on documentary directing at the Film Academy Baden-Württemberg where she made short and mid-length films. Her graduation film, Eismädchen, was nominated for the Grimme Award. She took part in the Documentary Campus in 2016 with her debut feature film Perro. She lives and works as a freelance director in Berlin.

Filmography (documentaries)

2012 Schattentänzer; short documentary 2013 Terrassentage 2015 Eismädchen 2017 Etwas Brief; short documentary 2020 Perro

Bio- & filmography as of Berlinale 2020