On Thursday, October 9th, at the Emerson Center for the Arts & Culture, the Bozeman Doc Series returns for its eleventh season with the beautiful, award-winning new documentary, Runa Simi. The film screens at 7pm.
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, reimagining 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.
Runa Simi world-premiered at this year’s Tribeca Film Festival, where it won the The Albert Maysles Award for Best New Documentary Director, and has screened at major festivals around the world.
“Simply delightful… This has all the inspiration and dream-big attitude of the best of the Walt Disney Studios catalog, and that is no small feat.” – Film Threat
“Augusto Zegarra’s buoyant first feature Runa Simi delivers a big-hearted and emotionally resonant story, anchored by a captivating exploration of fatherhood and cultural appreciation.” – Tribeca Film Festival
“Heartwarming… a bonafide David and Goliath story… a beautiful story about inclusion and the preservation of language… You will undoubtedly find yourself rooting for Fernando’s mission.” – Reel News Daily
Following on Thursday, October 23rd, the Doc Series continues with the Montana premiere of Love + War. The new documentary from Oscar-winners Jimmy Chin and Chai Vasarhelyi screens at the Emerson at 7pm.
Love + War chronicles Pulitzer Prize-winning Lynsey Addario’s ascent in the male-dominated world of conflict photography. But her work is dangerous. She’s been kidnapped twice while on assignment in war zones – a cost she must wrestle with each time she leaves her husband and two sons to go on assignment. Behind the camera, Addario is torn between her unwavering commitment to the essential work of journalism and the powerful, competing demands of motherhood, grappling with what it truly means to follow your calling when it threatens everything you love.
Love + War world-premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in September to widespread critical acclaim.
“Intense… fascinating… an insightful portrait of what it means to stand one’s ground in a conflict zone and pause for just enough time to capture the unfolding horrors of war in real time. This intense saga of courage under fire offers an all-too-timely reminder why the world needs independent eyes on the ground in times of conflict.” – POV
“A visually harrowing but often ravishing record of some of the many conflicts Addario has covered over the years… a remarkably strong work.” – The Hollywood Reporter
“Enlightening… real, raw and deeply human… it isn’t often that documentaries are made about women who choose their work over their family, but Lynsey Addario’s dedication to her job is anything but ordinary. Love + War ultimately feels like a confrontation with the cost of that dedication, rather than a celebration of one person’s achievements. The film contrasts harrowing war zone footage with quiet, fragile moments at home, creating a visceral portrait of a life split between two worlds.” – The Wrap
Doors open at 6:30pm. Tickets are available at the door or before the show online at www.bozemandocseries.org, where you can also buy Season Passes and 7-film punch cards, learn more about the series, and view trailers for upcoming films. The series will continue every other Thursday through April. •
