The Darien Gap is one of the last truly wild places on Earth. About 110km of rainforest between Panama and Columbia is impassable to all but small groups of drug runners and locals. It was this combination of isolation and danger that drew filmmaker Brad King to the area in 1999. He sought an adventure into the unknown. After making his way from Panama City to the rivers to the south, Brad wandered the jungle until he stumbled onto a village.
The people living there took him in as a family, and Brad recorded the event with a video camera and photographs. Realizing these people had never seen a picture of themselves, he turned the LCD display of his camcorder to face the children he was recording and saw the pure joy in their faces. It was then he swore to return with printed photographs for these people so they could remember their childhood in the same way he had. Over 20 years later, Brad King retraces his steps through the Darien Gap on a personal mission to bring family photos to his friends in Mogue village.
This surprisingly touching documentary will appeal to anyone studying the indigenous peoples of South and Central America. Because his only motivations are adventure and connection, Brad makes a surprisingly good cultural envoy. His acceptance by the people of Mogue allows him access to several rites and rituals that have rarely been documented or explained.
Patrons fascinated by anthropology or Ethnography documentaries will be spellbound. Bancoco will find the most use in University libraries. If your collection serves a robust Anthropology department, consider Bancoco an unofficial editor’s choice. General interest among public libraries will be more highly variable: Some libraries will want to grab this title immediately while others may see little interest among patrons. In all, Bancoco is a fascinating glimpse into the lives of those who inhabit one of the wildest places left on Earth. Highly Recommended.
What kind of film series could use this title?
Any film series looking at the indigenous people of South and Central America would be a perfect fit for Bancoco
What kind of college instructors could use this film?
Professors of Anthropology will get the most classroom use out of Bancoco.