Documentary Film on the Impacts of Tourism in Peru
Location: Andes Mountains, Peru
Funding Needed: $24,500
‘Carrying the Load” tells the story of the environmental and cultural impacts of tourism in the Peruvian Andes through the eyes of a village porter who was one of the first Quechua to work along the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu.
The first part of the film focuses on the contrast between his life in the village and his work. Through his simple observations we see how the industry he depends on for survival impacts him and his family. He sums up the challenge by telling us: “After a while I noticed my people were beginning to bear a large burden. I would bring home money to my family, but money began to change the way we valued our way of life.”
Twenty-seven years after he began working the Inca Trail, he offers advice to tourists and locals who choose to join a new movement in travel. Carrying the Load offers hope to other families whose lives are about to change as Peru becomes a premier travel destination in the years to come.
The second part of the film focuses on a section of La Gran Ruta Inca in Peru, poised to be the next area of interest to trekkers and tourists. It offers insights for travelers and tour operators and invites them to join the movement for responsible travel.
In an effort to bring about understanding of the consequences of tourism and its effect on people and places, Crooked Trails in cooperation with the communities of Vicos and Humachuco, the Mountain Institute Peru, and a Peruvian film crew have brought this documentary film project to fruition. We believe that there is a need to raise awareness of the negative impacts of tourism to stimulate thinking and discussion and to encourage individuals and groups to become involved in improving environmental, cultural and economic conditions in the places they travel.
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