Skip to main content
brightcove-5572479306001.jpg

Up Next

Back to Show
Big Cities

Q’eswachaka Rope Bridge

This film is about a historic rope bridge found in the Peruvian district of Q'ewe, three hours away from Cusco. Community members have been preserving the cultural heritage of the Q’eswachaka bridge, the last living legacy of Inca architecture, by using ancestral techniques, creativity and solidarity. Through Victoriano Arizapana y Eleuterio Cayo, two Chakaruhak leaders, we see how four communities come together in this region to collect the Q’oya grasses needed to weave the massive ropes used in the renovation of this bridge every year. The annual ceremony takes place over three days, without the use of any modern equipment. Under Arizapan's guidance, dozens of men and women mobilize their mysticism, strenght, intelligence, and solidarity to conserve the Q’eswachaka bridge, which UNESCO named a World Heritage site.

Support Provided By
Big Cities: Seven
26:46
Urban planners and average citizens in Thailand and Bogota are seeking solutions to ease congestion in their crowded cities.
Big Cities: Q’eswachaka
26:46
Looking back to traditional practices can help us find modern solutions to various environmental and social issues of city life.
Big Cities: Colin Boyd Shafer
26:46
Big cities attract dreamers from all over the world. This episode features the people building communities of inclusion for immigrants.
Still from QLM's "The Vertical Village"
26:16
Many people are ditching the confines of traditional apartment life and opting for communal living instead.
Mariachis in Boyle Heights
25:46
The heart of many large cities lies in their historic neighborhoods but across the world, the cultural vitality of these neighborhoods is threatened by the forces of gentrification and aging infrastructure. Hear from the people of Boyle Heights in Los Angeles and the Old Quarter in Hanoi, Vietnam as they work to improve and preserve their communities.
Favela Organica
26:46
Maintaining a sustainable way of life through organic farming is possible — even in big cities.
Active loading indicator