The Tarahumara are considered to be among the best long distant runners in the world. What is the secret to their amazing stamina? In this gripping film Ethnographer and Director Marek Baranski follows Victoriano to Colorado to enter the international one hundred mile race.
The Shaman of Sierra Madre tells the story of Vihillio, Shaman of the Tarahumara. Director and ethnographer Marek Baranski spent a number of years developing a close relationship with the Rurimari peoples also known as the Tarahumara. Unique footage of triabal celebrations and rites captured by Baranski can be found nowhere else and was dependent on the close relationship he formed with the tribe through living with them over three years.
Lagoon San Ignacio, Baha California in Mexico is the final destination of the annual migration of Grey Whales from Alaska. Marek Baranski’s documentary examines the puzzling and sudden change in the whales behaviour. For centuries, whales were slaughterd by hunters and even when whaling was forbidded in 1947 whales avoided fishermans boats and even capsised them. These mamals live long and have excellent memory. But in 1972, a strange thing happened. A whale came so close to a fishermans boat that he was able to touch him. The whale did not go away and stayed for a long time. We talked to the fisherman who made this first historic contact with the whale. Since that momment encounters became more frequent, eventually tourists began to come to the lagoon to seek out this unique contact. Nowhere else on earth can one touch, hug or even kiss the Whales. We join whale watchers on thier boat trips into the lagoon, we interview two scientists who a carrying out thier research. They disagree why the contact is being made. The Whale watchers are certain that is the whales who are seeking us. In this beautifully shot documentary Baranski searches for an answer as to why this unprecedented contact is taking place.
You can watch the entire film HERE