Amaruk Kayshapanta

Amaruk, a name that symbolizes the sovereign serpent for indigenous peoples, was born on January 30, 1970. Indigenous Kichwa from Salasaca, in the Tungurahua Province in the center of Ecuador. Amaruk is an Actor, Writer, Human Rights Activist, Movie Director and Martial Arts Master who has been bringing and promoting his Native culture worldwide for all his life, attending international conferences around the world as well as teaching children Native American History in New York City. One day a Korean family came to his community, the father of this Korean family introduced him the martial and performing arts at the age of 7, he was then a child restless for sport and the arts. At the age of 9, he started Martial Arts training with Professor Jorge Narváez Narváez. He lived in Salasaca until he was 12 years old, where he only spoke the Kichwa language, then he emigrated to Quito and settled there in the most popular neighborhood, in the south of the city, in Pintado, Calzado, La Magdalena, Quito and Tejar, until the age of 14. At the age of 17 due to professional reasons and to seek a better future in the family burden, by his parents living in New York (USA) with a suitcase full of dreams he left Ecuador and moved to New York City, transforming his life into an eternal pilgrimage to learn, work and spread the millennial culture of his ancestors. Amaruk graduated as a cinematographic and theatrical artist, in New York, Munich and Seoul, perfecting himself in Cuba in the city of San Antonio de Los Baños in the International Film and Television School founded by Gabriel García Márquez, where he specialized in Cinematographic Direction, but most of his career was developed in other Spanish cities such as Madrid and Barcelona, where he remained since 1997. He worked as a Professor of Cinematographic Direction and as Professor of Dramatic Art at the Academy of Cinematography and Audiovisual of Almodóvar Brothers "15 de Octubre" in Spain; although he performed on his arrival as journalist given his talent for writing and the desire to go after the news of interest, for the group of Latin Americans residing in Spain. In his fight for Human Rights and the Environmental preservation, he was invited to the "Third International Conference for the Equilibrium of the World" as a Lecturer and Journalist for The Unesco and the Embassy of Cuba (2012). In July 2016 he was interviewed by Lic. Evaristo Villar for Christian Networks of the Utopia Magazine, in order to learn about his indigenous roots as Amauta, during a visit to the Pope in the XXX World Youth Day 2016. It combines works of risk along with the interpretation of characters in Cinema, theatre and TV. He collaborates with several NGOs. He is a Master of Mixed Martial Arts and Taekwondo (Black Belt 5th Dan WTF), in Barcelona (Spain). He has lived in eight countries and has traveled more than 47 for his journalistic work, making him a World Citizen. He resides in Barcelona where he has been living for 25 years.