A Peruvian voice actor’s ambitious effort to dub Disney’s The Lion King into the Indigenous Quechua language is receiving renewed attention through Runa Simi, a documentary exploring the relationship between voice acting, cultural identity, and language preservation. Directed by Augusto Zegarra, the film follows Fernando Valencia as he attempts to bring one of Disney’s most recognizable animated films to audiences who rarely encounter mainstream entertainment in their native language.
The documentary premiered at the 2025 Tribeca Film Festival and has continued reaching international audiences through festival screenings and theatrical engagements. Its recent screenings in Los Angeles have brought additional attention to Valencia’s work and the challenges of producing an independent dub of a major Hollywood film.
Beyond the technical process of recording dialogue, Runa Simi examines the cultural importance of hearing familiar stories in an Indigenous language. Valencia’s project demonstrates how dubbing can serve purposes beyond international distribution, providing opportunities for communities to experience popular entertainment through their own linguistic and cultural traditions.
Bringing The Lion King to Quechua-Speaking Audiences
Fernando Valencia grew up in Huanimpampa, a community in the Peruvian Andes, where Quechua remains an important part of everyday life. Although the language is spoken by millions of people across South America, major international films are rarely available with Quechua-language dubbing. For children in rural communities, entertainment is often limited to films presented in Spanish or English, creating barriers for those who primarily understand Quechua.
Valencia began addressing this gap by recording Quechua versions of scenes from popular Hollywood productions. Working from a modest home recording setup, he created dubbed clips from films including Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, Ice Age, and The Lion King. The recordings became known as Quechua Clips and attracted attention online, encouraging Valencia to pursue a more ambitious project.
His ultimate goal was to produce a complete Quechua-language version of Disney’s 1994 animated classic The Lion King. The choice was deeply personal, as it was the first film Valencia remembered watching in its entirety during his childhood. He also recognized similarities between the story of Simba, a young lion separated from his homeland, and the historical marginalization experienced by Quechua-speaking communities.
Valencia’s young son Dylan became an important collaborator, providing the voice of Simba in the early recordings. Fernando performed several other characters, including Timon and Pumbaa, while directing his son’s performances and adapting the dialogue. Their father-and-son collaboration became a central element of the documentary, demonstrating how the project also helped pass the Quechua language between generations.
The adaptation involved more than translating individual words. Certain concepts and expressions required creative interpretation because they did not have direct equivalents in Quechua. Even the film’s title presented a challenge, as traditional Quechua does not contain native words corresponding directly to lion or king. Valencia consequently used the title El Rey León Runasimipi, meaning The Lion King in Quechua.
The Challenges of Dubbing Without a Major Studio
Creating a full-length animated dub normally requires professional recording facilities, experienced voice performers, translators, dialogue directors, and substantial financial resources. Valencia attempted to undertake much of this work independently, using accessible recording equipment and software while gradually recruiting additional Quechua-speaking performers.
The documentary follows his efforts to assemble a voice cast capable of portraying the film’s characters. Participants of different ages experiment with vocal delivery, characterization, and singing, contributing their voices to a project that carries considerable cultural significance. Some also discuss their personal experiences with discrimination and the historical pressure to abandon Quechua in favor of Spanish.
Valencia’s approach emphasizes the importance of creating an actual dubbed performance rather than simply translating the original dialogue. He wants characters to sound natural in Quechua while maintaining appropriate timing, emotional expression, and synchronization with the animation. His work illustrates the creative decisions involved in localization, particularly when adapting material for a language that has received little attention from major entertainment studios.
However, the project’s greatest obstacle has been obtaining permission from Disney. Because The Lion King is protected by copyright, Valencia cannot commercially distribute an independently produced version without the necessary authorization.
Throughout Runa Simi, he attempts to contact Disney representatives and secure support for the adaptation. His efforts include reaching out to industry professionals and arranging a conversation with Rob Minkoff, one of the directors of the original animated film. Although Minkoff expresses interest in the project, the meeting does not result in an agreement with Disney.
The documentary itself has encountered related distribution challenges. Its use of copyrighted footage has been permitted for commercial screenings in the United States under fair use considerations, but the filmmakers have faced restrictions in other territories. As a result, the documentary has not received a conventional commercial theatrical release in Peru, despite having been dubbed into Quechua.
Runa Simi Highlights Dubbing’s Role in Language Preservation
While Valencia’s project centers on a Disney film, Runa Simi addresses broader questions about the visibility of Indigenous languages in contemporary entertainment. Quechua, also known as Runa Simi, is spoken by millions of people across Peru and neighboring countries, yet its representation in internationally distributed films remains limited.
The documentary explores how historical discrimination and language suppression have affected Quechua-speaking communities. Several participants describe experiences in which speaking their native language carried social consequences, contributing to concerns about whether younger generations will continue using it.
For Valencia, dubbing offers a practical way to challenge these attitudes. By adapting recognizable films into Quechua, he hopes to demonstrate that the language can be used for contemporary entertainment rather than being confined to traditional or historical settings.
The project also introduces younger audiences to stories they may otherwise struggle to understand. During community screenings, Valencia witnesses the reactions of children and adults experiencing familiar animated characters speaking their own language. These encounters reinforce his belief that audiovisual entertainment can help strengthen cultural identity and encourage continued language use.
The documentary has also attracted support from actors Peter and Benjamin Bratt, who joined the project as executive producers. Their involvement has helped bring additional attention to the film’s themes of Indigenous representation and cultural preservation.
Runa Simi received the Albert Maysles Award for Best New Documentary Director at the 2025 Tribeca Film Festival, recognizing Zegarra’s feature directorial debut. The documentary has subsequently appeared at several international film festivals, introducing Valencia’s story to audiences beyond Peru.
Although Valencia has not yet secured Disney’s approval for an official Quechua-language release of The Lion King, his work has already demonstrated the possibilities of independent dubbing. The project has brought together performers, encouraged conversations about language preservation, and shown how familiar animated stories can acquire new cultural significance when presented in an Indigenous language.
Through its focus on voice acting and localization, Runa Simi illustrates how dubbing can become a means of cultural participation. For Valencia and the communities involved, the goal extends beyond hearing Simba speak Quechua. It is also about ensuring that future generations can continue hearing their own language in the stories they watch.