Runa Simi

Fernando Valencia, a 29-year-old voice artist from Cusco, Peru, is an Indigenous activist, painter, and devoted single father. Known for his uncanny ability to voice multiple characters, he launched “Quechua Clips” – a viral project that reimagines iconic animated scenes in Quechua, the ancestral language of the Incas, also known as Runa Simi. The response was overwhelming, uncovering millions of Quechua speakers hungry for stories in their own language. Thus, Valencia sets his sights on an ambitious dream: to dub Disney’s classic The Lion King into Quechua.

Armed with a homemade studio and relentless resolve, he navigates countless ups and downs, facing rejection and self-doubt. Yet through it all, his determination never wavers, turning his personal mission into a powerful call for language justice and cultural reclamation.