Sacred Seeds

About

Our Series

Sacred Seeds is a series that seeks answers to some of the most urgent questions of today by investigating the traditions and practices of Indigenous communities.

With the voyaging spirit of Eat, Pray, Love and the gusto of Parts Unknown, join host Dani Pogachefsky in a series of documentary shorts as we travel the globe, breaking bread with the elders, experiencing joy, and bridging ancient wisdom with the modern world.

Sacred Seeds explores the idea that healing, for us as individuals and for the entire planet, may be found in the values and practices of Indigenous communities. For millennia, these ancestral peoples have stewarded the land, found joy, and lived for the benefit of all species and future generations. Indigenous knowledge is founded in the collective rather than the individual, in connection rather than isolation, and in protection over-exploitation. These are the common denominators of change and hope that Sacred Seeds will explore in each episode and each Indigenous community.

Xuân Vũ

Xuân is a Southeast Emmy-winning documentary filmmaker and professional editor whose core motivation is to amplify the voices of those who otherwise would not be heard. With a keen interest in nonfiction media for social justice, political reform, animal rights, and environmental causes, Xuân continuously devotes her energies and skills to shedding light upon vehicles of positive change. This film would be her directorial debut.

Her work spans the globe, from a youth foundation for orphaned children in Colombia to nonprofit sustainability efforts in Haiti to female migrant workers in Nepal and has garnered international recognition at numerous festivals (including DOCNYC, Indie Grits, American Documentary Film Festival, and the United Nations Association Film Festival). In 2020, her work as producer and editor on the feature film, While I Breathe, I Hope, won a Southeast Emmy for “Outstanding Documentary.

Her most recent work on PBS’s short doc series, Wild Hope, profiles environmentalists, scientists, and Indigenous groups around the world who are successfully combating issues facing our planet today, such as climate change, environmental degradation, habitat loss, species extinction, and more. Other broadcast credits include work on National Geographic, CNN, Showtime, Animal Planet, and MSNBC.

Our Series Director/Producer

Co-Producer

Dani Pogachefsky

Dani is a first-time filmmaker dedicated to uplifting and empowering the voices of Indigenous communities. She believes in the profound wisdom embedded within their lineages, viewing it as the key to restoring balance and harmony on a global scale. For Dani, the pursuit of this wisdom is not just a personal journey but a commitment to sharing the transformative insights that Indigenous cultures offer for the betterment of our interconnected world.

Having personally experienced the many ills caused by modern society on her mind and body, Dani left behind corporate America, prestige, and friends over a decade ago and immersed herself in the realms of yoga, mysticism, healing arts, and spirituality, studying under masters in these fields. Dani’s journey has taken her across the globe, where she’s lived alongside, learned from, and built trusting relationships with Indigenous wisdom holders. From the spiritual landscapes of Nepal and Bhutan to the ancestral territories of North America, the Andes, Kenya, and the Amazon, her path has become a mosaic of diverse experiences.

Mateo Arango Guerrero

Mateo is a Colombian cinematic storyteller, international filmmaker, & director of photography who uses his camera to amplify the narratives of Indigenous communities facing marginalization and injustice. His films are not just artistic expressions; they are instruments intended for social change, raising awareness and advocating for the rights and cultural preservation of Indigenous peoples worldwide.

His dedication to this mission is reflected in his last project, Sing-Sings: Keepers of The Culture, which stunningly captures the visual and auditory land- and soundscapes of an Indigenous tribe in Papua New Guinea, exploring the impact of tourism on their culture and emphasizing the importance of sustainable ethnic tourism practices.

Mateo has end-to-end project experience, shooting and editing long- and short-format documentaries, narrative films, commercials, and more. He always looks for that different angle to tell a story in a more compelling way, evoking a connection with the intended viewer. His work has been showcased in different film festivals around the world, including the UK, US, Australia, Peru, and Colombia, a testament to his commitment and the global reach of his work.