PAKA, Yachapa: Echo of the Andes
Sandra Winther
Backroads Pictures, Earthrise Studio, new—land
Director's Works
Sandra Winther is an award-winning Danish director recognized for her cinematic, human-centered approach to storytelling across film, fashion, and culture. Her work spans narrative, documentary, and commercial projects, marked by a signature blend of emotional intimacy and striking visual style. Winther’s films have premiered at festivals including SXSW and Tribeca, and she has collaborated with global brands and artists such as Nike, Adidas, and Spotify. Known for elevating real communities and lived experiences on screen, she brings a sensitive, immersive lens to stories that explore identity, place, and the threads that connect us.
The film was shot in the Andes mountains of Peru as a way to honor the alpaqueros and weavers who live and work there. PAKA has partnered with these communities for years to produce the alpaca wool used in their sweaters, but this project wasn’t meant to be a commercial. They wanted to share a more personal, artful story.
One of PAKA’s ambassadors, Peruvian actress Nathalie Kelley, left Peru when she was young. After talking with her about her connection to the mountains and her early memories, I wrote the script to explore the quiet sense of ancestral knowledge rooted in that landscape and in her past. The film is an invitation to slow down. To feel. To listen to the wisdom carried in these mountains and to recognise our shared responsibility to care for the earth.
