“To what territory do I belong?” This is the question, both figurative and literal, Ana María Gutiérrez poses to anyone curious to learn about the distinctive work of Organizmo—a research-led organisation she founded about 30 km outside of Bogotá—which studies and supports the philosophical and material construction traditions of Indigenous communities, including the Comunidad Piaroa La Urbana in the Selvas de Matavén, who are featured within this film.

At Organizmo, the meaning of the word territory departs from a modern, colonial lens, and from geopolitical invention altogether. The primary territory in question is the body; to belong is to understand the position of the body within the larger ecosystem of all life, and to examine how each and every body mirrors the cycles and rhythms of the world around it. Founded in 2011, Organizmo’s primary concern is the interactions between humans and their habitats, in order to imagine new ways of cohabitation that can shape and be shaped through the built environment. Though a trained architect, Gutiérrez work has shifted away from the study of space, turning instead to the study of relationships, especially what she refers to as “intercultural dialogues.”

We Are All Woven, filmed against the magnificent landscape of Tenjo in Cundinamarca, witnesses timeless Indigenous traditions of co-creating habitat that reveal that to “build” is an inherently collective process. Through the concept of cosmovision—a worldview rooted in a sacred natural order—Gutiérrez explains the role of “Casas de Pensamiento'' (Houses of Thought), which are the material, energetic, and spiritual focal points of community life. Reflecting on how these structures are envisioned and constructed, Gutiérrez proposes the act of building as a physical manifestation of our interconnectedness, teaching us about the true meanings of reciprocity, regeneration, and sustainability.

We Are All Woven
2024
Featuring Ana María Gutiérrez
Directed by Jeff Mertz & Alice Grandoit-Šutka