“Anayáwari. Ecos del mar” is a student short film made by 12 talented students of ISAD (Instituto Superior de Arquitectura y Diseño de Chihuahua) with the assistance of their mentor and producer Lorenz Foth. The short film tells the story of a little Rarámuri girl called Anayáwari, playing Rowéwala – a game and race exclusively for women that consists of running dozens to hundreds of kilometers throwing a rope hoop with a wooden stick. Touching the hoop with her hands is strictly forbidden at any point. Anayáwari’s hoop accidentally gets lost in a dark and scary cave, forcing her to go inside. There, she gets lost and lives an unforgettable spiritual experience.

Anayáwari in Rarámuri translates to “memories of the souls that have passed away”. Which in a way is what she encounters in the cave. The memories of beings that inhabited the region long before Anayáwari, when it was an ocean, the ocean of Tetis.

The short film aims to raise awareness towards Rarámuri traditions and their culture. They are native to the mountain range in Chihuahua, in the north of Mexico. Their indigienous culture and language are very unique, especially when it comes to their traditions. Running for many hours or even days without stopping, whilst kicking a wooden ball or throwing a rope hoop are 2 incredible games they play consistently. The ball variant, Rarájipari, is more well known globally. It is a game exclusive to men. The women’s varient with the stick and rope hoop is equally dificult and impressive, and the short film wants to expose this incredible and beautiful tradition to more people.

An ISAD Production – Instituto Superior de Arquitectura y Diseño Chihuahua

Made by ISAD students [Taller de Estrategias de posicionamiento digital 2026A].

Directors: Ximena Orozco, Lian Sebastián Quezada, David Morales

Producer: Lorenz Foth

Writer: Ana Ruíz

Animation supervisors: Mariela Reyes, Adrien Sepúlveda

Animation and production: Adrien Sepúlveda, Ana Ruíz, Ángel Colmenero, Danna Chávez, David Morales, Lian Sebastián Quezada, Lilian Gomez, Mariela Reyes, Oli Sáenz, Sofía Monárrez, Valeria Hernández, Ximena Orozco and Lorenz Foth.

Special thanks to: Irma Noly Chávez Cruz, who is an anthropologist and activist specialized in Rarámuri culture and helped in the conceptualization and understanding with her expertise, sharing her personal experiences playing the game Rowéwala.

Teachers/mentors/supervisors: Lorenz Foth.

Animation technique: 3D.

POSTER, ANIMATIC AND STORYBOARD

Sinopsis:

In a Rarámuri community deep in the mountains of Chihuahua, a little girl named Anayáwari plays with her friends with an ariweta on the edge of a hill. Suddenly, the ariweta falls down the cliff and lands in a dark cave. Determined to retrieve her ariweta, Anayáwari climbs down the cliff and enters the cave, where she finds fears the giant ganokos – legendary human-like creatures that eat children, as told by the elderly people in her village. Scared, Anayáwari falls into a deep pool of water. In that moment, the charm on her necklace begins to glow, and a small, luminous ammonite emerges from it, guiding her into the depths of the cave. Inside, sea creatures swim through the air like ancient spirits, lighting the cave with their glow. Anayáwari lives among them and realizes that this place belongs to a prehistoric time, when the seas covered the world.

DETAILED STORYBOARD

PREVIZ SCENES / ANIMATION PROBES / ANIMATION BIBLES / ETC.