When the Andes Speak – A Cinematic Tribute to the Sacred Valley
In the short film Tierra de Gigantes, Ecuadorian director Victor Bastidas journeys into Peru’s Sacred Valley. Created for NOWNESS, the film is less a documentary than a visual poem – listening closely to people, rituals, and a landscape shaped by centuries of myth and spiritual knowledge.
Beyond the Tourist Gaze
The Sacred Valley is one of Peru’s most visited regions. Tierra de Gigantes, however, deliberately turns away from the obvious. While crowds queue at iconic sites, Bastidas steps into everyday life – where ancestral traditions continue to shape the present.
Filmed across Pisac, Maras, Moray, and surrounding villages, and developed in collaboration with Peruvian creative director Lia Lazaro, the project unfolds through genuine exchange with local communities.
The Giants of the Mountains
Rooted in Andean folklore, the film draws on the belief that mountains are living beings – giants that protect, observe, and remember. This worldview, deeply tied to Inca mythology, remains a spiritual foundation for many Andean communities today.
Through dance, ceremony, artisanal practices, and the symbolic presence of corn, Tierra de Gigantes reveals how mythology continues to inform daily life.
“We explored a region of Peru that millions visit every year, yet we saw something most never do.”
— Victor Bastidas
A Personal Dedication
The film is also a tribute. Bastidas dedicates Tierra de Gigantes to the women in his life who guided him through Otavalo, Saraguro, and other Andean regions – opening doors to stories often overlooked.
Here, the Sacred Valley becomes more than a destination. It emerges as a living, breathing landscape shaped by memory, resilience, and quiet strength.
Mindful Viewing
Tierra de Gigantes invites us to slow down and truly see. To experience place as relationship rather than spectacle. A film that resonates deeply with the principles of mindful living – and reminds us that the most meaningful journeys happen beneath the surface.t.
