Mama Irene: Healer of the Andes

Directed by: Bettina Ehrhardt & Elisabeth Möhlmann  Released: 2022 (educational) Year of Production: 2021 Running Time: 71 min Language: English Subtitle Options: English Closed Captions Subjects: South American Studies, Spirituality Studies, Women's Studies      This is a film about Mama Irene, a remarkable 86-year-old woman Shaman (healer) from Peru who draws upon indigenous knowledge and traditions in danger of being lost forever. Yet her craft is based primarily on her own intuition: “Spirits have told me in my dreams how to proceed.”The documentary follows Mama Irene in her everyday life, highlighting her healing methods and passion to serve each patient who knocks on her door: from local women who travel hours or days by foot through the Andes, to a medical doctor from India seeking a cure for illness that Western medicine had failed to help.We accompany Mama Irene on ancient spiritual ceremonies such as the Snow Star Festival, where thousands of pilgrims gath