Bila Burba review – how recreating brutal battles helps pass history down the generations

A vibrant community tradition to theatrically restage a decisive moment in their independence struggle is vital to Panama’s Guna people

Beyond the written word and photographic evidence, how does one keep history alive? For the Guna people of northern Panama, community theatre emerges as a potent form of cultural documentation and preservation. This vibrant documentary directed by Duiren Wagua, who hails from the same Indigenous community, traces a vital tradition that breathes life into monumental events from the past.

The year 1903 marked the separation of Panama from Colombia. But with this independence came fresh conflicts, as the new Panamanian government refused to recognise Tulenega Shire, an autonomous Indigenous territory formed in 1870. The Guna people were subjugated under racist laws designed to erase their culture and pillage their land of resources. In February 1925, the local population, women included, took up arms in what is known as the San Blas rebellion against Panama’s soldiers, a courageous fight that brought about independence for the region.

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