The Lost Children was directed by Oscar winner Orlando von Einsiedel (short: The White Helmets 2016 and Virunga 2014) with the help of co-directors Anglo-Peruvian Lali Houghton (Foreign Press Assoc Award for Smuggling Dreams,2017) and Colombian Jorge Durán (El Sonido Perdido, 2022).
When, due to engine problems, a Cessna plane crashed on route to Bogotá, from Araracaura, San José de Guaviare, the wreckage was lost in the immense Amazonian jungle in the deep south of Colombia. The eldest child, 13-year-old Lesly Mucutuy is knocked unconscious. When she comes to, she realizes her mother is dying and finds that the pilot and another male passenger are both dead. She pulls her siblings out from under her mother, nine-year-old Soleiny, and 4-year-old Tien and an 11-month-old baby. Despite having a leg injury herself, she drags herself on her knees, away from the fallen plane, aware that to survive, she must find them some food and water.
Soon, an elite force from the Colombian army with a search dog, led by an emotional and determined General Sánchez, is tasked to find the plane and any survivors. Despite their efforts and the help of helicopters, the remoteness and density of the jungle in that area makes the task impossible. They find themselves having to battle insects, snakes, constant heavy rains and the fearful threat of accidentally bumping into groups of FARC terrorists that still occupy sections of the jungle. They whisper and keep a low profile to avoid detection.
Meanwhile, a Huitoto from the same clan as the children, Henry Guerrero, decides to lead a group of indigenous people to help with the search. Very wary of working with the government forces, they keep apart, even being suspected themselves of being terrorists at one point and are almost shot when they come across a platoon.
“La selva esta enojada” (The Jungle is angry), say the indigenous people. Despite the sophistication of having a GPS bleeper from the plane and the use of helicopters, the elite army forces cannot locate the wreckage. This is discovered in the end, by the indigenous group following the tip of a local, plus using a more instinctual method of moving in the forest, rather than sticking to strict quadrants.
Having discovered the plane however, they find no children’s bodies. When one of the rescuers finds a baby bottle and then some half-eaten fruit, they realize that there is the definite possibility of finding them alive and the rescue takes on the name of OPERATION HOPE (Operación Esperanza). Suitcases that had fallen off the plane are found to have been opened and examined. With an average of 16 hours a day of heavy rains, the going is really hard, the Belgian Malinois rescue dog goes missing and the two groups of rescuers finally realize they cannot continue to work separately. They must join forces if they are to succeed. This is hard for some of the indigenous rescuers, especially Nicolás Ordóñez, who, having been abducted into the FARC army at the age of 13, was forced to remain and fight with them until, at 17 he finally returned to his family. Everyone has a personal journey to face. One begins to wonder who is being rescued here, is it really only the children?
They try to hail the children with loudspeakers from the helicopter and from the ground, dropping pamphlets, all to no avail. The Indigenous people wonder if there is an evil force, a jungle ‘duende’, that is loath to give up the children, especially when it is so badly treated, with logging and other unnatural ways?
Reflections of Director Lali Houghton:
“The Amazon's most extraordinary rescue mission challenges viewers on everything we think we know about survival and nature. The Huitoto people see what many of us have forgotten: a forest alive with spirits, where animal guardians can either guide or mislead. This isn't folklore—merely using sacred plants, it can be a sophisticated technology that proved crucial when modern methods failed. From the Amazon to ancient Britain's druids, these guardian spirits have always been there. Perhaps we didn't lose them; we chose to look away. When four children survived 40 impossible days in the jungle, it wasn't satellites or helicopters that led to their rescue—it was this ancient wisdom, woven into indigenous cosmic-visions, showing us a deeper way to read the natural world.”
True to this, Army veterans find themselves impressed with the immense jungle knowledge the locals have and start to respect their ways and decide they must follow their lead, rather than only their own. When the indigenous rescuers all get very sick and need help from the army doctors, the camaraderie gets stronger. As days go by at an alarming rate without success, the hope of finding the children alive begins to fade. Back in the village, the relatives start to talk about how the children might be hiding on purpose, because they do not want to be with their abusive father, Manuel Ranoque.
By the time a month-and- a-half has passed, few believe it is still a rescue mission. They are so desperate they start to search at night. The Shaman warns the troops to beware of the powerful jungle spirits (duende). Even the hardiest army veterans, including Captain Legionnaire, begin to feel invaded by these spirits, as strange things happen. The GPS monitor spins around and they feel they are being watched. The Shaman warns them to beware the power of the duende so as to avoid being captured, as the Captain Legionnaire is adamant that there are supernatural beings out there.
Then the Shaman, Don Rubio, determined to use the old ways, gives it a last chance. At the risk of his own life, he decides he must face the jungle duende (spirit). With the support of his fellow Amerindians, they chew coca powder (Mambe) mixed with Ambil, a tobacco paste, and even pray and make the sign of the cross. Then Don Rubio decides to turn to Yagé (also known as Ayahuasca) to ask it where the children are. He drinks the potion and turns into a jaguar. As he battles the duende in his vision, it tells him he must face the consequences. Then, in his hallucinations he hears a baby crying and clearly sees the children, alive, standing next to a large Milpesos tree , surrounded by Bijao trees. At that moment, he knows they will be found the following day. True to his spiritual quest, this information turns out be vital for the search.
Amazonian jungle near Araucara
On the 40th day, they leave the camp at dawn once more to search, knowing that it will have to be the last time they will be able to try: It's now or never. As local rescuer Eliécer says “I would leave with a pain in my soul”. But, once again, they hear a baby cry, only this time it is not in an hallucination! The children wary, frightened, and mere skin and bone, finally appear before Nicolás Ordóñez who just opens his arms and says “Family”. The boy would have died a day later, say the medics. They were found just in time. Nicolás: “Finding them was like finding myself, as, in a way, they also rescued me”.
“A miracle,” says General Sؘánchez through his tears. Operation Hope lived up to its name in every sense, and for once, the army going through the streets of Bogota with their indigenous colleagues to celebrate the success of their mission, are feted instead of booed. For once, both teams, the army and the local rescuers realize that neither could have done without the help of the other, it was collaboration on a scale never known in Colombia, between the local people and the army. It is, quite simply the most ambitious and extraordinary humanitarian effort made by one of Colombia’s governmental institutions. Not only the children were saved in Operation Hope.
This moving documentary weaves its way through this extraordinary story, including conversations with family members, including the children’s father, as well as the army participants, who also had to go through the hell of the jungle conditions for those strenuous 40 days.
Sadly, the dog was never found again.
THE LOST CHILDREN (2024) Available on NETFLIX now.
Indigeneous rescuers at the premiere of The Lost Children
Directors: Orlando con Einsiedel, Lali Houghton and Jorge Durán.
Jorge Durán, Lali Houghton and Orlando von Eisiedel at the première
Exec Producers: Brian Grazer and Ron Howard / Sara Bernstein and Justin Wilkes / Editor: Katie Bryer / co-director: Samuel Santana /Music: Patrick Jonsson/ music consultant: Simon Mejía /DOP: Franklin Dow and Mauricio Vidal ( ADFC)/ Sound recordist: Héctor David D Gongora /Additional photography Lali Houghton / Omar Gutiérrez and Daniel Podeva/ Drawings: Ana Maria Calderón Muñoz / Song: El Camino del Jaguar by Simon Mejía/ Lyrics and melody by Lido Pimienta.
Cast: Lesly voice: AURA TERESA ARANGO MORALES /
