Summary : In the immensity of the Bolivian highlands, Virginio and Sisa watch over their herd of llamas. So far, nothing has been able to divert them from this harsh life, inherited from traditions: neither their advanced age, nor the departure of the inhabitants of the region, driven out by the drought. So they are suspicious of the visit of Clever, their nineteen-year-old grandson, who has come to convince them to move to town with the rest of the family. Reluctant to leave his land, Virginio is inflexible. So much so that the day he falls seriously ill, he decides to hide it from Sisa and Clever…
Critical : We rarely have the opportunity to discover Bolivian films. Utama: The Forgotten Land is a unique experience in the heart of the desert expanses of this South American country. An elderly couple lives there, despite the drought which impoverishes the land, in the midst of their lamas. He makes do with potatoes and beans for lunch only, except when one of their animals succumbs to thirst or disease. Around them, the inhabitants give up. They flee to the city, in search of access to water and less rudimentary comfort. With their departure of course, the whole rural tradition is gradually being exhausted; but for them it is a matter of survival. Then comes the grandson, Clever. The boy came with a message to pass on to his grandparents. Two worlds are opposed: that of the young man equipped with his smartphone and headphones, and that of this aging couple who must walk further and further each day to find water.
- Copyright Condor Films
Alejandro Loayza Grisi is directing a very masterful first film. The filmmaker is above all a photographer. This is all the more readable as the images of Bolivia are sumptuous. The feature film sets out to show desert landscapes of incredible splendor. We follow the transformation of the desert regions from morning until evening, with this dark earth suffocating from the lack of water. The cry of the llamas mingles with the sickly rattle of Virginio who, each morning, takes his animals ever further towards the arid pastures. For nearly an hour and a half, the spectator is breathless, like the hero, in front of the beauty of the desert expanses and the painful existence that the elderly couple undergoes. A condor suddenly invites itself into the middle of the story which turns into a spiritual poem.
- Copyright Condor Films
The feature film is carried by three formidable actors: José Calcina, Luisa Quispe and Santos Choque. The two elderly actors give life to an agrarian couple, isolated, who try to survive their ancestral traditions. The third interprets the grandson, just as loving as he is revolted by the difficulty of life of his elders. All the magic of the film is embodied in these three endearing and complex characters, in the midst of magnificent landscapes. The conduct of actors is precise. She easily adapts to the lights that follow the sun and to the slow rhythm of this form of existence.
- Copyright Condor Films
But make no mistake, Utama: The Forgotten Land has nothing of the postcard movie or the family melodrama. It is a deep and living work which declines the complexity of living together, within a planet which is damaged with global warming and in the long term raises fears of massive exiles of the populations of the world. The feature film questions the disappearance of ancestral traditions, upset by migratory movements and intergenerational conflicts. It is not useless to remind us that computers, mobile phones and the Internet are not accessible to many human beings on Earth, who continue to survive from their work as farmers, in a circular economy and a concern for the absolutely admirable simple things.
Laurent Cambon
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Blu ray test
Image
The high plains of Bolivia are sublimated by a breathtaking work on light, which recalls the great hours of the western, but also the most beautiful documentaries on nature. Far from being a coincidence, when we know that Alejandro Loayza Grisi is making his first film there, precisely after having worked on documentaries such as the series Planeta Bolivia. Another important element, Grisi was first with operator and photographer, which is undeniably a quality when filming the Andes mountain range. For this film, he collaborates with Barbara Alvarez, director of photography, who captures with talent the warm tones displayed by Utama. Everything on Blu-ray is beautifully rendered.
His
The lyrical notes of Cergio Prudencio blend delicately with the images of the Bolivian plains, for an impeccable result in terms of sound.
Supplements
Video editing has a significant added value in terms of supplements, without them being essential.
The major bonus is the director’s interview, which is fascinating in revealing some secrets and proclaiming his love for his country. The topics covered are vast, and the interested party sufficiently precise to make the interview a complement of choice to the viewing.
The making-of remains more illustrative than explanatory, but has the good taste to offer us some moments of life that make the film crew endearing.
The third supplement is a strong reminder that Grisi, before becoming a director, was a photographer, and a gallery of his most beautiful shots is presented to you. The case is worth a look, and it is impossible not to smile a smile of admiration, even amazement in front of certain photos.
More anecdotal but sympathetic: Condor offers a short journey through the poster projects not selected, some of which would have stood the comparison without blushing with the great winners that are the French and international poster.
Thomas Bonicel
Utama: The Forgotten Land – Alejandro Loayza Grisi – Blu-ray review and test