February 15th - 10:10

Title: February 15th - 10:10 Medium: Super-8 film Aspect Ratio: 4:3 Resolution: 2880 x 2160 File Type: H.264 Codec / MP4. Comments: There are floating man made islands at Lake Titicaca. and Taquile Island is one of the natural islands in the middle of the lake. The group landed ashore and walked through the island to the other side where I collected sand to represent South America. There is a rich Inca mythology that was said "the lake was portrayed as the birthplace of the sun. The Incan sun god Inti emerged from its depths, bringing light into the world." We made our way to meet the Uru people. I met the family living on this island and when my group boarded the ferry. I asked to make a family portrait of them where I gifted them a Polaroid and bought some of their baskets and other goods they made. They took us around on their handmade boat to get a feel for how they fish and travel. "The Uru considered themselves the owners of the lake and water. The Uru use bundles of dried Totora reeds to make reed boats (balsas), and to make the islands themselves. The islets are made of multiple natural layers harvested in Lake Titicaca. The base is made of large pallets of floating totora roots, which are tied together with ropes and covered in multiple layers of totora reeds. These dense roots that the plants develop and interweave form a natural layer called khili (about one to two meters thick), which are the main flotation and stability devices of the islands. Each island lasts about 25 years. After 25 years, water seeps through the reeds and the inhabitants build a new island and let the old one sink to the bottom of the lake. The Uru do not reject modern technology: most boats have motors, nearly all islands have shared solar panels to run appliances such as televisions, and the main island is home to an Uru-run FM radio station, which plays music for several hours a day."