Where the River Begins (2026): Cast, Story and Release Details

Prepared by Movies Dock Editorial

Where the River Begins follows Yajaira, an Embera mother, and her daughter Maria as they flee a violent Bogotá neighborhood for the village Yajaira once knew. Joined by Jhon, a young gang member with concealed motives, their dangerous journey toward the Andágueda River becomes a story of exile, memory and healing.

Where the River Begins is a 2026 Spanish-language drama about displacement, family and the pull of home. The story centers on Yajaira, an Embera woman living with her daughter Maria in a violent Bogotá neighborhood and dreaming of the jungle she left behind.

After tragedy forces them to leave, the pair begin a perilous journey toward the Andágueda River. Their companion, Jhon, brings his own undisclosed reasons for joining them, adding uncertainty to a story shaped by violence, memory and the hope of returning to one’s origins.

Where the River Begins movie details

Story without spoilers

Yajaira lives in Bogotá with her daughter Maria, but her memories and dreams remain tied to the jungle and the village she once called home. When a tragedy changes their circumstances, mother and daughter must leave the city and set out for the Andágueda River.

Jhon, a charismatic young gang member, travels with them while keeping his motives hidden. As the journey unfolds, the natural world reenters Yajaira’s experience through dreams and memory. The film presents their escape as both a physical struggle and a movement toward healing, without revealing how their story resolves.

What to expect

This is a drama built around exile, violence, nature, freedom and the search for one’s origins. Its premise combines a dangerous escape with a more inward story involving memory, dreams and Yajaira’s connection to the jungle.

The film’s setting moves from a violent Bogotá neighborhood toward the Andágueda River, creating a clear contrast between urban danger and the natural world associated with Yajaira’s past. The concealed motives of Jhon add an element of uncertainty to the journey, while the story’s poetic and spiritual dimensions suggest a focus on emotional and symbolic experience rather than action alone.

Cast and creative team

Girleza Duave Cerezo plays Yajaira, with Ana Michell Nama Dumaza as María and Juan David Junca Linares as Jhon. Juan Andrés Arango Garcia directed the film and wrote the screenplay.

• Girleza Duave Cerezo as Yajaira
• Juan David Junca Linares as Jhon
• Ana Michell Nama Dumaza as María

Release and production context

Where the River Begins is a 2026 production from Canada, Colombia and Norway. It is in Spanish, runs for 1 hour and 42 minutes, and is classified as a drama. The listed production companies are Inercia Películas, Midi La Nuit, Stær and h264. Its release date is September 14, 2026.

Production companies: Inercia Películas, Midi La Nuit, Stær, h264

Where the River Begins official trailer

Watch the official trailer on YouTube

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With its focus on an Embera mother and daughter, a forced departure from Bogotá and a return toward the Andágueda River, Where the River Begins brings together social danger and personal memory. The film’s premise places questions of belonging, freedom and healing at the center of its story.

Film data:
TMDB · IMDb