Sonaly Tuesta will premiere Misión Kipi, her first documentary film, in March. The journalist will bring to the cinema the story of Professor Walter Velásquez, who during the pandemic, due to the lack of internet access in Huancavelica, created the robot girl.
“I have always wanted to tell stories, that's why when I heard about Professor Walter Velásquez, I was dazzled and even more so when I learned that Kipi was a robot girl. That marked the moment and the connection. Mission Kipi is a tender story, because Walter has humanized Kipi and from his perspective as a teacher he teaches him about the knowledge and scenarios of the town of Colcabamba, where he has his laboratory and history is made,” Tuesta explained in a statement.
Velásquez dedicated himself for years to teaching Science and Technology in rural areas. When he created the robot, he became a sort of assistant to teach and motivate his students. Kipi—or Qipiy, a Quechua word that refers to carrying something on one's back—earned him the Esteban Campodónico award for his contribution to education.
Walter Velasquez. The robot girl became his assistant. Photo: diffusion
According to them, the film has been filmed and produced thanks to Tuesta's experience with his program 'Costumbres'. “The bond with my friend Zenobia Mendoza spans more than 15 years. It was she who warmly welcomed us into her home in Los Nogales and introduced us to the entire community. From her house, where she has a loudspeaker, she called people, especially women, to inform them about our new project and request her support to carry it out. Furthermore, Zenobia composed a song for Kipi's birthday, showing a charming spontaneity in performing it herself,” she says of her debut work.
The film described as the story of “a teacher from the mountains of Peru who creates a robot, trains it and humanizes it to share learning” is produced by Ayni Producciones and hits theaters on March 21.
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