Pachamama

The lives of the Quechua, an indigenous people who live on Bolivia's Salar de Uyuni (Salt Lake), are beautifully rendered in this moving film. PACHAMAMA, is filled with lyrical cinematography that reveals this gorgeous but harsh landscape, tells the story of a 13-year-old boy, Kunturi, who lives with his family on a farm on the salt lake. Kunturi's father earns his livelihood by mining salt and then transporting it to rural villages using a herd of llamas. Kunturi's life begins to change when his grandmother dies and he accompanies his father on the “Ruta de la Sal” – The Salt Route. They travel between tiny Andean villages untouched by modernity as they trade blocks of salt for other products. This is a coming-of-age story in which Kunturi's journey helps him to understand the harsh beauty of the world, as well as the true nature of the pachamama, which translates as “mother universe” in his native religion. The world of the Quechua, who are descended from the Incas, seems to exist in another time and place, far from the vicissitudes of today's global economy. Yet as the film shows, technology and modern life are steadily encroaching on the ancient rhythms of this way of life. (In Quechua with English subtitles) – L.C.