Preserving Indigenous Knowledge

Masha Savchenko Start Date: Aug 10, 2017 - End Date: Jun 5, 2018
  • Altai Republic, Russia
  • Lithuania
  • Ukraine
  • Finland
  • Tuva, Russia

My Travel Story

by: Masha Savchenko Start Date: Aug 10, 2017 - End Date: Jun 5, 2018
Throughout history native people were and continue to be oppressed and killed. Much of their culture,spirituality, and knowledge of the natural world has been lost. With globalization some are also seeing a a revival period take place however, as more people are becoming interested in finding their native roots.
This September my partner and I will begin a film journey in Altai, Siberia.
Our film will mainly focus on shamanism but other topics will be explored such as herbalism,matriarchy, and sustainability. We will also discuss how these cultures and traditions are evolving within our globalized modern times.
Our goal is to preserve people's traditional healing knowledge so that the next generations will have the ability to learn and continue the work of the medicine people who are called shamans.
The film will take place in different parts of Siberia, Lithuania, Ukraine, and Finland. This will be an independent two women project without a film crew. The film will focus on people of these regions only because with our Ukrainian and Russian ancestry we feel it is important to us to reconnect and save our indigenous traditions. If we are able to collect enough funds for this project we will be able to contribute and support the work of the shamans on our journey and continue the film in other parts of Eastern Europe. This will also give us the opportunity to meet with people who will be able to bring us to very remote non touristic places and visit different villages where much of the shamanic knowledge can be found.
I have been dreaming about organizing this film project for a few years but due to the lack of funds it has not been able to come into fruition. With the strong interest in the film which we have received from many people thus far, we hope that we will be able to raise enough funds to fully begin the film production this year.
  • Altai Republic, Russia
  • Lithuania
  • Ukraine
  • Finland
  • Tuva, Russia