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The documentary The Hummingbird Paints Fragrant Songs, directed by Èlia Gasull Balada and Matteo Norzi, follows Shipibo artist Sara Flores as her work reaches a wider international audience. The film is scheduled to open DOC NYC on Nov. 11, 2026, with online festival streaming from Nov. 12–29; it is also set to screen at the São Paulo International Film Festival from Oct. 19.
The documentary The Hummingbird Paints Fragrant Songs, directed by Èlia Gasull Balada and Matteo Norzi, is scheduled to make its U.S. premiere as the opening-night selection at DOC NYC on Nov. 11, 2026. The film follows Shipibo artist Sara Flores and her growing international profile, while connecting her work to the cultural resistance and self-determination of the Shipibo people.
The film is also scheduled to screen at the 50th annual São Paulo International Film Festival, beginning Oct. 19, according to the source report. DOC NYC plans to make it available online as part of the festival from Nov. 12 through Nov. 29. The supplied material does not specify the São Paulo screening dates beyond the festival’s start date.
The documentary moves between scenes of Flores’s artistic practice and her encounters with the international art world. Its opening sequence is set in the Amazon rainforest, showing a woman stripping bark, boiling it and using tree juice to make geometric designs. The report identifies the film’s subject as Flores, but does not provide further detail about the materials or the precise process shown in that sequence.
Other scenes place Flores on a first-class flight to New York, at an exhibition at the now-defunct Clearing gallery on the Bowery, and in Central Park. The film follows her ascent as an artist and her role as the representing artist of the Peruvian pavilion at the Venice Biennale, as described in the source report.
Flores Links Art With Shipibo Self-Determination
The film’s central relevance is the connection it makes between Flores’s artistic practice and the cultural rights of the Shipibo people. Flores told Hyperallergic that she sees opportunities to exhibit as a way to bring attention to their struggle for self-determination and cultural resistance. That statement frames the documentary’s art-world scenes not only as a record of career growth but also as a platform for a wider cultural message.
Its screenings at festivals in São Paulo and New York may introduce the film to audiences beyond the communities and institutions already familiar with Flores’s work. The source material does not establish how viewers or critics will respond, or what effect the film will have on public understanding. It does, however, document the artist’s own stated intention to use visibility for that purpose.
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From Amazon Scenes to Venice
The report presents the film as following Flores during a period of increased international attention, including her representation of the Peruvian pavilion at the Venice Biennale. It contrasts rainforest imagery and artistic practice with travel and exhibition scenes in New York, placing the artist’s work in both cultural and institutional settings.
The source identifies Clearing, the Bowery gallery shown in the film, as now defunct. It gives no date for the exhibition filmed there. The documentary is directed by Gasull Balada and Norzi; the supplied report does not provide production details, runtime, or information about earlier screenings.
“Every opportunity to show my work is a platform to raise attention on the struggle for self-determination and cultural resistance of the Shipibo people.”
— Sara Flores, speaking to Hyperallergic
Screening Details Still Limited
The announced dates establish the film’s planned festival appearances, but the source material does not give the São Paulo screening schedule, ticket information, or details about access to the DOC NYC online stream. It also does not say whether the film will receive a theatrical or wider streaming release after the festival.
The report describes the documentary’s scenes and subject but does not provide a full synopsis, production background, or further statements from the directors. The festivals’ schedules and distribution plans could provide additional details as the dates approach.
Festival Screenings Begin in October
The first listed festival appearance is at the São Paulo International Film Festival, which begins Oct. 19, 2026. The next confirmed milestone is the film’s DOC NYC opening-night U.S. premiere on Nov. 11, followed by online availability within the festival from Nov. 12 to 29.
Further information about individual screening times, online access and any release beyond the festivals was not included in the source report. Those details remain subject to announcements from the festivals or the filmmakers.
Key Questions
What is The Hummingbird Paints Fragrant Songs about?
The documentary follows Shipibo artist Sara Flores, her artistic practice and her growing presence in the international art world. The source report also describes scenes linking her work to Shipibo cultural resistance and self-determination.
When will the film premiere in the United States?
It is scheduled to have its U.S. premiere as DOC NYC’s opening-night selection on Nov. 11, 2026.
Where else is the documentary scheduled to screen?
The film is scheduled to screen at the 50th annual São Paulo International Film Festival, which begins Oct. 19, 2026. The source material does not provide its specific screening dates there.
Will the film be available online?
DOC NYC plans to stream the film online as part of the festival from Nov. 12 to Nov. 29, 2026. Details about access and any release after the festival have not been provided.
What did Flores say about showing her work?
Flores told Hyperallergic that she sees each opportunity to exhibit as a platform to draw attention to the Shipibo people’s struggle for self-determination and cultural resistance.
Source: rss
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