BE PART OF THE DOCUMENTARY
“THE CONDOR AND THE EAGLE” FILMING IN PERU   

This December you can participate in a cultural mission to Peru that aims to use street art and murals to engage Peruvian neighborhoods into a social discourse by having residents be involved in mural projects. A team of artist/activists (Artivists) will be working with residents at various locations. The Peruvian government and artist collective El Averno in collaboration with artist Mario Torero and his San Diego based Fuerza Mundo organization have targeted the development of the Quilca Arts District to benefit from this artistic vision. The cultural mission will include a spiritual ceremony led by Mario Torero while at Machu Picchu, to celebrate the earth’s spiritual awakening, foretold by the Mayans anticipated to happen on December 21, 2012.

The model for this is the various mural projects Fuerza Mundo has been involved with here in the U.S. and Mexico including the Chicano Park project in San Diego. The Peruvian artist collective who is the other half of the equation is “El Averno” headed by Peruvian artist Herbert Rodriguez. Mario met Herbert while visiting Peru to administrate some land his family owned, he searched out local art and artists and created a link between the 2 artist collectives known as AVERNO/FUERZA INTERNATIONAL. Mario had been indoctrinated in his early childhood not to trust the Indians of the Andes. “It had never entered my mind to go there while I lived in Lima” after Mario’s father a celebrated artist in Peru brought him to San Diego his attitudes changed with time. “My involvement in the Chicano cultural revolution from the 70’s on had raised in me the pride of a magnificent ancestral history” it took time for his personal quest to solidify “Then in 2000, I was ready to rediscover my own legacy” He has since been to Machu Picchu, Lake Titicaca and other spiritual sites in Peru, with this personal growth Mario hopes to share an accepting conciseness to bring together cultures throughout the world.

Prolific San Diego filmmaker Horacio Jones and his company CinemaViva have partnered with these Artivists   to document these neighborhood interventions. Horacio worked with Mario documenting San Diego’s Chicano Park Mural Project for the UCSD commissioned documentary “Chicano Legacy: 40 Años”. Taking symbols of South and North America this documentary is titled “The Condor and the Eagle” “ There was a lot we could do with that title” stated Horacio . The filmmaker and Artists brainstormed about the focus of this cultural mission.” We whittled it down to a concept people can grasp” says Horacio “creating a concept people can grasp and raising funds are the main challenges.” Confident in having such a concept left the task of fundraising, continued Horacio “It is not as easy as creating code for a website unfortunately”.  The project is using indigo.com as part of the online fundraising strategy and they even have a sponsorship reward of going with the crew and participate in the adventure.  You can be part of the 19 day mission for a sponsorship of $5000; this includes airfare, boarding and food. You can learn more by going to http://www.indiegogo.com/CondorEagle

By Mike Caro