An unarmed Indigenous group aims to protect their native lands in this stirring portrait

In his short documentary El Bastón, the Colombian American filmmaker Nemo Allen retraces the footsteps of his late mother, the documentary filmmaker and activist María Victoria Maldonado, as he attempts to complete a work she was unable to finish before her death in 2016. Revisiting family VHS tapes and footage from the project, Allen recalls her dedication to telling the story of the Indigenous Nasa people of southwestern Colombia, who have long been subjected to violence and persecution from clashing state and guerrilla forces in the region. To finish her work, Allen travels to Colombia himself. There, the Nasa, still facing external threats, have formed a security force called the Guardia Indígena. Wielding only symbolic batons in place of arms, this volunteer group attempts to protect the community and its territory from the region’s long-simmering violence. As Allen faces dangers that echo those his mother faced years ago, he finds himself similarly inspired by the spirit and resilience of its people.