The Biblioburro of The Donkey Library

Carlos Rendón Zipagauta’s documentary has screened at a number of film festivals in shorter versions, spreading the story of Colombian Luis Soriano and his mobile lending library. With next week’s upcoming POV screening, Soriano’s efforts will get a much larger audience.

Rendón Zipagauta’s film follows Soriano as he and his donkey trek over dangerous terrain to bring books, and the love of learning, to children in rural communities. Spending his weekends on this mission for over a decade, the elementary school teacher is single-handedly helping to make a change in his fellow countrymen, encouraging the next generation to become educated and to better their situation and their country in return. As he makes his rounds, his conversations with his donkey provide needed information – an unexpectedly clever yet natural exposition device.

BIBLIOBURRO tells a simple, but truly inspirational, story. Soriano and his burro make for immediately likeable subjects, and like Jennifer Arnold’s A SMALL ACT, his actions demonstrate how the simplest idea or action can affect lasting change.