Nelida is an Andean woman able to communicate with nature’s spirits. She feels she is the daughter of the lakes that provide water to her village.But just beneath her lakes, Yanacocha, Latin America’s largest gold mine, has discovered a deposit valued at billions of dollars. They have the Peruvian government’s support to mine it, even though it means drying out the lakes.Farmers who live downstream oppose the project, because they fear running out of water. It’s a life and death struggle. The police have killed five men during the protests and the farmers not only have to confront the political and economic powers, but also the people in their communities who now depend on the small jobs the mine has given them.When Nelida joins the march from her homeland to Lima, the country’s capital, over a thousand kilometers away, she realizes she’s not alone. There are thousands of people who want to protect the Andean water sources.Nelida’s story has parallels in Bolivia too, where a group of women live on dried out land. Their water disappeared after years of incessant mining. Then there is Bibi, a Dutch jeweler who exhibits her pieces on spectacular catwalks in Europe and who decides to visit Peru to find out where the gold she uses comes from.Back in Cajamarca, the repression against those who oppose the mining project increases. Marco Arana, a former priest and Nelida’s mentor, is brutally arrested by the police while sitting peacefully on a bench in the main square.The conflict continues. We see how, facing 150 policemen about to evict a peaceful demonstration at the lakes, Nelida grabs a mobile phone and contacts city journalists. Her determination averts an attack. But her participation in the protests has consequences: Nelida’s father, who works for the mine, loses his job.But that doesn’t undermine her determination. Nelida goes back to the lakes and prays to the water spirits. She makes an offering with flowers and photographs of the five farmers killed during the long conflict. Finally, Nelida asks mother nature for strength to keep fighting for justice.Since its premiere in 2015, Daughter of the Lake has screened at over 150 international film festivals, received more than 20 awards and distinctions, and been shown at universities, museums and cultural institutions across four continents. The film was also available on Netflix worldwide for three years.The film has contributed to broadening the conversation around water protection, indigenous cosmovision and environmental justice. Ten years after its release, it continues to be programmed by universities, cultural centres, educators and activists across different countries, extending the reach of its message and affirming the ongoing relevance of the stories it tells.If you’d like to screen the film, use it in a course, or invite the director to speak, we’d love to hear from you. Get in touch.