Paraguayan filmmaker Arami Ullón offers a moving portrait of remembered identity in Apenas El Sol (Nothing but the Sun). The Ayoreo are an Indigenous people native to the Gran Chaco region of Paraguay and Bolivia. Their name means “true people” or “true men” in the Ayoreo language. The documentary follows Ayoreo elder Mateo Sobode Chiqueno as he works to preserve the voices of his people.
The film centres on Mateo Sobode Chiqueno, who has spent decades travelling across Ayoreo communities with a tape recorder, documenting personal testimonies. Since the 1960s, he has sought to safeguard fragments of a culture profoundly altered after religious missionaries forced many Ayoreo families to abandon their ancestral forest, traditional beliefs, and nomadic way of life.
Set in the semi-arid Paraguayan Chaco, the documentary explores the lasting consequences of displacement while highlighting the resilience of a people determined to keep their history alive. The documentary is available for viewing on Amazon Prime Video.
A living archive
Rather than presenting a conventional historical account, Apenas El Sol unfolds through the voices of the Ayoreo themselves. Mateo’s recordings reveal deeply personal memories that often differ from one another, reflecting the complexity of their shared past.
Some interviewees recall their first encounters with non-Indigenous society with curiosity and hope. Others describe profound grief, illness, and loss. Topics spoken about include the disappearance of traditional customs, as well as reflections on the influence of Christianity and the changing values within their communities.
As Mateo listens, he is frequently overcome with emotion. Songs bring him to tears, while memories leave him silent. His work is not simply collecting recordings, he, himself, carries the emotional weight of preserving a disappearing heritage.
An intentional imagery
The documentary also uses the landscape itself to tell part of the story. Expansive shots of the dry, deforested Chaco contrast with glimpses of the forests where the Ayoreo once lived freely. Old cassette tapes stored in worn shoeboxes become powerful symbols throughout the film. Many are tangled or damaged with age, reflecting both the fragility of memory and the urgency of Mateo’s mission to ensure these voices are not lost.
Rather than portraying the Ayoreo solely through the lens of suffering, Ullón presents them as individuals with their own knowledge, traditions, beliefs, and perspectives.
International reach
Following the success of her debut feature documentary El Tiempo Nublado (Cloudy Times), Ullón returned with Apenas El Sol. The film received international acclaim after opening the prestigious International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam in 2020.
Born in Asunción in 1978, Ullón divides her time between Paraguay and Switzerland. Her work consistently examines Paraguayan society and its overlooked realities. Her first documentary screened at more than 70 international film festivals and became Paraguay’s first submission to the Academy Awards for Best International Feature Film.
Apenas El Sol continues that commitment by documenting the history of the Ayoreo people. Recorded are their enduring voices, preserving memories that might otherwise disappear. The documentary is available for viewing on Amazon Prime Video.
More films? These Are Five Internationally Awarded Paraguayan Films You Want To See!
