The Museum and Cultural Center of Riobamba dedicates a room to honor the Illustrious Women of Riobamba. To the left, four portraits of mestizo-white women stand out, while in the background, behind a column, appears a fifth figure: Manuela León, a symbol of Indigenous resistance. The accompanying description highlights the absence of documents that support her existence. This tension between the visible and the invisible in history marks the starting point of the documentary essay Saying by Doing.

The documentary follows muralist Raúl Ayala as he returns to Ecuador to install a mural outside the museum. During this creative process, a dialogue is established between what is expressed verbally and what is represented visually. This exchange creates a bridge between tradition and resistance, giving voice to the worldview of the Puruwá people and their oral history. Indigenous women, active in social struggles, play a central role in the narrative, adding a crucial layer to the story.

 

A taita yachak shares knowledge about power plants, while a grandmother weaves a belt full of wisdom that she simultaneously imparts to her granddaughter. A community leader faces justice while proclaiming “shimika parlakun makika rurakun” (Saying by Doing), emphasizing how in communities, word and action are deeply intertwined. Saying and doing are not separate acts but gestures that complement each other: while the mouth speaks, the hands create. This connection turns words into actions and the creative act into a living form of communication that not only preserves memory but also propels it into the future.

 

The Chimborazo volcano, a deity for the Puruwá and a symbol of national identity, represents the circular time that encompasses the creative process of the mural and explores Kichwa as a language and vehicle of memory, manifested in traditional clothing and songs, while struggling to remain alive, just like the glaciers of Chimborazo, threatened by climate change.