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In the arid Bolivian highlands, an elderly Quechua couple has been living a tranquil life for years. When an uncommonly long drought threatens everything they know, Virginio and Sisa must decide whether to stay and maintain their traditional way of life or admit defeat and move in with family members in the city. Their dilemma is precipitated by the arrival of their grandson Clever, who comes to visit with news. The three of them must face, each in their own way, the effects of a changing environment, the importance of tradition, and the meaning of life itself.
The Garden Cinema's view: Utama is a simple and unpretentious story about love, tradition and the dire effects of climate change in rural communities. It features some stunning cinematography of the Bolivian landscapes.
"there’s probably no way to make the film sound sexy and I fully understand that the synopsis 'Sundance prize-winning Bolivian llama farmer movie about climate change' sounds like a bad parody of international art cinema. Yet there’s real power in Grisi and Alvarez’s visuals, and if you’re willing to surrender yourself to the movie’s spell it’s worth living alongside these people for a little while as they wait for the rain."
Cast:
José Calcina, Luisa Quispe, Candelaria Quispe