On the line: Internet in rural Peru
Trailer
News
Film will screen at the National Association for Media Literacy Education in July, 2011.
To order a DVD or request a screening
If you would like to request a screening at your event or conference, please contact me [amd @ studiocrux dot com]. DVDs of the film are now available for purchase through the online store.
Summary
In 2007, the government of Peru began a project to bring internet to rural areas of the country. This documentary explores how internet access has shaped rural communities that until recently did not even have telephones, investigating the problems that remain and villagers’ hope for improvements in communication, education and business.
This film follows the installation of internet “cabinas” by one Peruvian telecom in particular, although not exclusively. Two native communities, usually ignored by the state and without electricity or other basic servies, were also included. Traveling to over 40 villages in the Andes, Central Amazon and coastal regions, I interviewed internet entrepreneurs who shared their frustrations over connectivity issues, high cost and lack of training. But they also expressed their deep desire to improve their communities by learning technology and connecting with the rest of the world.
Shot in the summer of 2009; released in December 2010.
Frequently asked questions
What’s the length, and other specs?
The film is 24 minutes long, in Spanish and English, with English subtitles. Director/cinematographer/editor: Audubon Dougherty. Assistant director/field translator: Maurice Cateriano.
Can I watch the full film online, or get a DVD?
Presently you can’t watch the full version online because I’m in the process of submitting to festivals. However, you can email me and I can send you a DVD.
What was MIT’s involvement?
I made this film while a graduate student at MIT. I applied for and received an award from MIT’s Entrpreneurship Center (Carroll L. Wilson Award) to make the trip and film the interviews. Then, I was supported during post-production by MIT’s Center for Future Civic Media, where I have worked as a research associate since 2008.
Was bringing internet to rural areas a government initiative, or something done by private telecommunications companies?
Both. The government provided subsidies to a few national telecoms to provide broadband internet and public phone service to rural villages, although that money mainly covered installation costs only. I followed the progress of one telecom (Rural Telecom) which had won government contracts to provide internet service to over 2,000 rural villages in half of the country, but in a few places I also talked to internet cabina owners whose internet was provided by other companies.
Is the main problem lack of electricity?
No, only two communities — the two native/tribal villages I visited in the Amazon — were without electricity, as they could not afford to pay the bills. But, as a severely underrepresented group, I felt it was important to include their stories in this film; however lack of electricity was not the norm in other areas.
Are there really hardly any girls using the internet in Peru?
No, there are plenty of girls and women using the internet, but it depends on where you go. In cities, everyone uses it. But a noticeable pattern emerged from my visits to rural areas: when unsupervised, uninvited or untrained, communities didn’t fully grasp the potential of computers and internet and therefore mainly boys and young men used the technology (often in groups) for gaming and other online social activities. However, this was not the case where cabina owners supervised the kids (and adults) and encouraged them to use it for educational or communicative purposes. The same was true for the handful of areas I visited where internet had been integrated into the school system and all children, male and female, were trained to use it.
I’d like to help some of these cabina owners. What can I do?
Depending on your skill set, there may be ways to help. Do you speak Spanish? Do you have resources to share, monetary or otherwise? It is often difficult to get in touch with some of these cabina owners, especially as internet service is often sporadic, but please email me if you’re interested in brainstorming ways to help.