“Qotzuñi: People of the Lake”, a documentary short by Gastón Zilberman and Michael Salama ‘24, deals with the impact of the disappearance of Lake Poopó on the Uru people who lived on the lake for centuries. “Qotzuñi” was part of Salama's undergraduate thesis work, and research for the film was supported by the History Department's Stone/Davis Prize. The film is Salama's first production credit.

“Qotzuñi” premiered at NaturVision, a German film festival, winning the award for best short film. It then earned a special mention at the Patagonia Environmental Film Festival and had its United States premiere at DOC NYC, the largest documentary festival in the country, where it won the award for best short film. It is now qualified for the 2026 Academy Awards.