KM 82 FILM SYNOPSIS

KM 82 is about the workforce inequities that the porters face on the Inca Trail and their struggle to create a more equitable mountain trekking industry. For over 50 years, the classic 4 day Inca Trail has been in operation and yet the porters who carry tourists’ bags up the mountains continue to fight for their dignity, fair pay and decent working conditions on the ground. KM 82 centers the voices of the Quechua porters who have been unheard on the issues for too long. It follows the story of Alberto Huamanhuillca, the Porter Federation president, and his advocacy for the basic human rights of porters and the Quechua community within the context of mountain tourism.

KM 82 can be viewed in English or Spanish. 

WATCH THE TRAILER BELOW

KM 82 is first and foremost a CALL TO ACTION for us to collectively support and elevate the porter voices. We do this by getting the porters’ message out to the general public so tour companies and all relevant entities in Peru will begin to finally recognize the problem and ACT to create Workforce Equity on the ground. KM 82 is a grassroots initiative and was funded through crowdfunding independent of any tour operator and government entities in Peru; hence, your support will help us gain the much needed attention of the tourism industry, which as a whole, has yet to fully listen to the voices of the Inca Trail porters and indigenous communities of Peru. 

We believe you, the tourists, have the right to demand tour operators and the Peruvian government to ensure that your tourism dollars are not spent on an oppressive system that minimizes the indigenous and labor rights of the porters. KM 82 empowers tourists to become allies and advocate for Workforce Equity in the mountain trails of Peru, Nepal & Tanzania. We rally around the porters and their voices to send the message out loud and clear – PORTER RIGHTS ARE HUMAN RIGHTS.

We want to emphasize that the issues the porters face are SYSTEMIC and have persisted for over 50 years. Tour companies have the tendency to dismiss the porter voices by claiming the problems don’t apply to them or that the industry is now different post-pandemic.

Neither assertion is true.

For instance, a system that continues to undermine the indigenous porters by requiring them to wear uniforms is a SYSTEMIC issue. This legal requirement that tour companies follow erases the Quechua culture while minimizing the Quechua porters into mere laborers that are mandated by their employers to wear uniforms. In other words, this very law “commodifies” the Quechua porters as a way to promote a tour agency’s brand. Also, the fact that the porters are not able to speak their truths without being threatened or intimidated is yet again a prime example of SYSTEMIC OPPRESSION. Silencing of the porters is a widely known practice by many tour agencies that has been observed and reported on the ground. This is the tipping point that led PVC to produce KM 82. If anything, we want to accomplish one important mission:

To make the world listen to, celebrate, amplify and elevate the voices of the porters.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

As more people watch the film, we will be publishing content to answer viewers’ questions and address the nuances that are raised in the film. Make sure you are subscribed to this website to get updates.

“As a filmmaker, I believe in audiovisual media as an effective tool to generate changes. It is difficult to ignore the situation of abuse towards the porters and do nothing. We cannot allow today to build industries that are based on exploitation and inequities. It’s necessary to fight against these problems so that we can reduce social gaps and build a more just society for all.”

– JOSE LUIS PALOMINO ESCALANTE, DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY

THE CALL TO ACTION

You may be wondering after watching the film – “What can I do about it?“

There are many ways you can support the movement towards Workforce Equity Tourism. For media/PR inquiries, please send us an email (theportervoice@gmail.com).

Here are the ways you can support our work to create Workforce Equity for the porters.

1. Sign the petition for Workforce Equity for Porters of Peru’s Inca Trail

The petition is a means to call on stakeholders such as tour companies, the Peruvian tourism organizations, and others to act and create Workforce Equity Tourism. You can sign the petition via THIS LINK. Please feel free to share the petition via social media and other means.

2. Write a film review or testimonial on behalf of yourself and/or your organization.

Your testimonial as someone who has viewed the film helps validate KM 82’s relevance as a documentary film, and therefore increase the chances of KM 82 getting screened at film festivals.  You can complete the film review/testimonial form via THIS LINK.

3. Schedule a private screening (with Q&A) with your followers/audience.

As some of you are members of the media, outdoor groups, and outdoor/tourism/human rights organizations with your own audience, scheduling a film screening with your respective audiences would be instrumental in spreading the porters’ message. Email us at theportervoice@gmail.com to discuss potential collaborations.

4. Write and/or pitch an article/film review for media publications.

If you are a writer or a publication, we invite you to create content and promote KM 82 and the porter voices. 

5. Do a film review/feature of KM 82 via podcast, blogs, and all other forms of media.

If you are a content creator, we’re happy to discuss potential collaborations with you via interviews, features, content sharing and other forms of promoting the film. Send us a message to discuss (theportervoice@gmail.com).

“As a woman with a historically marginalized & colonized indigenous identity, I see porters in Peru, Nepal and Tanzania as my brothers and sisters. When you are an avid hiker and feel love towards the mountains, it is only natural to want everyone on the trails to be treated with utmost level of humanity and respect.   It broke my heart the first time I learned the truth about the inequities towards the porters. The worse part is carrying this truth around for more than a decade without knowing how to create change in the industry until now.”

– MARINEL M. DE JESUS, ESQ., DIRECTOR & EXECUTIVE PRODUCER

6. Connect us with relevant organizations/media entities.

If you know of relevant organizations or members of the media that can help promote the film, please let us know.

7. Join our work to create a Universal Workforce Equity Guidelines for Porters Worldwide

At PVC, we are working on creating the Universal Workforce Equity Guidelines for Porters Worldwide. We are seeking allies to help us create these guidelines as a collective effort. If you have a background in sustainability practices, human rights, labor rights, indigenous rights, trade certifications, DEI work, and/or have extensive background & experience in the tourism industry, please send us an email (theportervoice@gmail.com) detailing your interest and relevant skills/experience.

8. Share the Porter Voice Collective Website with your friends.

The PVC website contains all the interviews, articles, and all relevant content to educate others about the porter issues. PVC uses storytelling and all forms of media to create public awareness. Sharing the PVC website is the first step in rallying allies to support the porters. As we proceed with our work to create Workforce Equity, we will update the website with additional action steps that allies can take to affect change.

Read

8 Ways Tourists Can Advocate for Workforce Equity for Porters in Peru, Nepal & Tanzania

Workforce Equity for Porters: Why it Matters & Why Travel Companies Should be an Ally

One Step at a Time: Creating Workforce Equity for Porters

9. Join and share our communities via Facebook.

Please join our two communities – KM 82 Film page and The Porter Voice Collective community page – to get updates on our work and the movement towards Workforce Equity. Don’t forget to share the pages with your network.

10. Promote our upcoming private screenings. 

Before we launch KM 82 publicly, we will be hosting private screenings targeting various types of audience in the next few months. Please watch out for our future emails to learn about the upcoming screening dates. We ask that you share the film screening events via social media and invite the members of your network to attend.

And finally,

SPREAD THE WORD.

THE MOST POWERFUL TOOL WE HAVE IS OUR VOICE.

LET’S LISTEN TO, CELEBRATE, AMPLIFY & ELEVATE THE PORTER VOICES.