Are you searching a documentary to watch on Netflix? Search no further because we have found you one: The Lost Children.
Generally speaking, the topics of Columbian documentaries centre around its beautiful geographical features such as Caribbean Islands and Amazon Rainforests, or its diverse culture where multiple ethnic, linguistic co-exist. Or, on serious topics, around Columbian Civil War that started around 1960’s.
The Lost Children, a Columbian documentary released on Netflix last year is different. It is a simple, raw truth presented to you without a dollop of sugar syrup. And yet, it is like a journey that ends on a sweet note.
It is about the search and rescue operations of 7 people who went missing in a plane crash in the Columbian Amazon Forest. Along with the pilot, the others aboard the mini-plane was an indigenous community leader, Mucutuy siblings (4 kids) and their mother.
And though the Army was on the search mission, officially, some members of an indigenous community also decided to look for the missing plane and people aboard.
Given the history of Columbian civil war and conflicts between the two groups, they were doing the task independent of each other.
The Columbian clashes started in 1964. It saw the country divided between the Columbian government, far right paramilitary groups, crime syndicates and the far-left guerillas fighting over their claim to the Columbian land.
As a result of this skirmishes, these groups, the ethnic tribes and the general civilian population never saw eye to eye. Their wounds cut deep and bled into the present moments.
Indigenous people often found themselves at the centre of crossfire between the military and militia, often bearing the brunt from both sides.
The army was strategic and measured in its approach. One wrong move could attract unwanted attention. They also had a their trained canine Wilson leading the search mission.
Whereas the people in the indigenous group aware of the mysteries of Amazon, were experimental in their approach, scattering around in every area they scanned. They did not come in the way of each other given their troubled past.
The indigenous group comprised of several individuals that included Manual Ranoque, the father of the children, and Don Rubio, an elder and a shaman from Huitoto community.
A fourteen year old from indigenous group, first spotted the crashed plane. It was 18th day of the search and rescue and the one that was a turning point on how things would be.
They found the remains of the adults on the plain. There was no clue of children. Out of the many presumptions that people could think, they hoped that the children were alive.
When they scouted the area little clues pointed to the fact that in fact the children were indeed alive. But, they had to be rescued at the earliest given that so much time had already passed.
And that is when the Army headquarters invited various ethnic group leaders for a joint search operation. Operation to locate the missing children was called Operation Hope.
On the 22nd day the volunteers from these groups joined the indigenous groups and army in the forest. They scanned through the tough terrains and rough weather amidst threats from wildlife and guerrilla fighters for days. Army used additional resources, they played a message addressed to the kids on loudspeakers in the plane. They also dropped pamphlets across the jungle for the kids.
But, even after seven days they couldn’t locate them.
On 29th day, most of the volunteers were sick. Don Rubio the shaman confessed that he was in a fierce spiritual battle with the Duende( an evil spirit of the forest, like Goblin). Even others could feel supernatural forces around them. Most of the sick people had to retreat. Army helped treat the ones that stayed back.
Survival in the jungle was tough and everyone started thinking how could the child survival for so long under such conditions.The children, if alive, could be anywhere in the vast and thick covet of Amazon.
The relatives of the children believed that they were hiding from their abusive father Manuel. Eerie events also took place in the jungle during night search and otherwise. It very strongly indicated the presence of supernatural elements. The locals believed that Duende had taken the kids. Even the army official stated about eerie encounters in night search mission in thid documentary on Netflix.
By day 33, the hope that children would be found alive was diminished. As the entire jungle had been scanned and children were not found. Most of the volunteers and troops went back. Only a handful of people remained behind.
The Huitoto Shaman, Don Rubio wanted to try for one last time as. If Duende had kids only, Yagé(god) could show the way. So, they decided to call upon Yagé to help them locate the missing children.
Manuel was the father of the children. He was made to go through the rituals to call upon Yagé(god). But the process did not yield any result. The jungle had rejected him. Don Rubio sent him home.
He wanted to try for the last time before they all went back home. This time the Yagé responded.
Next day, he told his team about their whereabouts. Half the team went for one last time, remaining people prepared to leave.
The teams looked everywhere for hours but found nothing. It was afternoon and they decided to return. But just then they heard a sound that made them stop in their tracks.
And then they head the sound again. It was a baby’s cry. The day felt calm and clearer and just as they looked in the direction of the sound they saw the kids. All four of them. Leslie the eldest of them collapsed upon seeing the volunteers.
They looked emancipated and were saved just in time.
On the 40th day, the children were found and safely rescued.
Operation hope was successful, not only in finding the children but uniting the country for a cause in decades.
Do watch this documentary on Netflix. The visuals of the mystical amazon forest, real footages of the search mission, and a peek into shamanic rituals are just added bonus.
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