Esparto – In the Hands of the Páramo
Esparto – In the Hands of the Páramo
High in the Andes, within one of the world’s most fragile and vital ecosystems, Mardoqueo Ladino keeps an ancestral tradition alive: weaving with esparto grass. This rare plant fiber grows only in Colombia’s páramo and has sustained a deep relationship between people and nature for generations.
Journey into this magical landscape with filmmakers Karen Beltrán and Mafe Martínez as they offer an intimate window into the life and work of master craftsman Mardoqueo Ladino Pineda. Through his hands, an ancient practice endures—one that carries profound cultural meaning for Colombia and the Andean world.
Film Maker
Karen Beltrán
Colombia
Karen Lizeth Beltrán Rincón is a director, photographer, and audiovisual creator. Her work emerges from encounters with territory, memory, and people, as a way of honoring life in its diverse and complex expressions. She understands photography as a dimension that enables the crossing of perspectives between different generations and ways of seeing life, a force that guides her creative practice.
She has directed short films such as El idioma de la brisa (2025), Recia y Bravía (2024), and Una perla en fotografías (2023), and has developed photographic projects like Rostros de mi tierra , recognized as Living Heritage in Boyacá. Her images have been shared in various spaces across Colombia and internationally.