Utama - Chlotrudis Society for Independent Film

By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 4.5 cats
Director: Alejandro Loayza Grisi
Starring: Candelaria Quispe | Félix Ticona | José Calcina | Luisa Quispe | Placide Ali

Country: bolivia, france, uruguay

Year: 2023

Running time: 87

IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10984580/reference/

Michael says: “When I learned that Utama is translated in English to Our Home, it resonated so much more with me. I found UTAMA to be a powerful, effective film that, while fairly straightforward, successfully blended several themes, most notably climate change, aging, generational dynamics, and the modernization of indigenous culture, quite well into moving portrait of love and loss.

“Set in Bolivia, Virginio and Sisi are an aging indigenous Quechua couple who live alone, a long walk from the nearest village, and a much farther distance from the nearest city. They have been without rain for nearly a year, which makes tending their herd of llama, and their sad garden increasingly difficult. When the water Sisi retrieves from the village pump dries up, and Virginio’s health begins to become an issue, they are faced with some difficult choices. A visit from their grandson, Clever, complicates matters as his grandfather thinks he’s a bit of a brat and visiting to do the bidding of his father (Virginio’s son).

“The gentle story does it’s work, but it’s the directorial skill, coupled with some remarkable cinematography by Barbara Alvarez, and Art Direction by Valeria Wilde that really elevate this film. The stark landscape marries stunning beauty with desolation. Powerful moments are conveyed with a look, or a gesture that moved me to tears. Every time the absurdly whimsical, hassled herd of llama entered the screen I had to smile. The low-key, but beautiful way that José Calcina and especially, Luisa Quespe portray the two leads, is worthy of consideration for nomination (and reminiscent of another South American favorite of mine, the Uruguayan Buried Treasure nominee, WHISKY) — although as none of the characters are portrayed by professional actors, I feel the director deserves a lot of credit there. 4 1/2 cats”

Utama

Leave a Reply Cancel reply