Category: Bolivia

Ajayu

Death in the Aymara culture is an experience in which the mourners, the community, the souls participate together. Age-old rituals, mixed with Catholic symbols assimilated by the people, frame the story of Andres and his young daughter Leonora. Upon drowning in Lake Titikaka, they must find their way to Korimarca (the Aymara Heaven) with help from the members of the community to which they belonged.

Bolivia, Culture/Festivals/Food, Indigenous Peoples, Social Life and Customs

American Visa

Based on the best-selling novel by Juan De Recacoechea, about a Bolivian high school teacher who is trying to gain entry into the United States to reunite with his son in Miami. Along the way he falls for a beautiful prostitute, while his passion for detective novels encourages him to turn to crime and cross paths with corruption.

Bolivia, Migration/Immigration

Americas: Part 4

"Mirrors of the Heart" This program explores shifting ethnic and racial definitions in the region, looking at Bolivia, a nation with a rich Indian tradition, and Hispaniola, an island divided between two nations --Haiti and the Dominican Republic-- with different cultural heritages and attitudes toward their African roots.

Bolivia, Dominican Republic, Haiti, Indigenous Peoples, Latin America, Social Issues

Che, Part II: Guerrilla

Part two of Stephen Soderbergh's chronicle of the revolutionary activities of Ernesto "Che" Guevara examines Guevara's attempts to start a revolutionary guerrilla movement in the jungles of Bolivia. Beginning with his arrival in Bolivia under a false identity, the film traces the factors which result in ultimate failure, as well Guevara's untimely demise. Efforts to attract the support of Bolivian peasantry ultimately fail as Che's band is unable to convince the peasants that supporting them is in their best interests. The insurgency effort becomes more and more desperate as the Bolivian military, with the support of the United States, steadily gains the upper hand in its attempts to quell the rebellion.

Bolivia, Cuba, Docudrama, History

Che: The Bolivian Diary

On October 9, 1967, Che Guevara was executed by the Bolivian army, aided by the CIA. Che’s diary, a detailed, personal account of his futile 11-month attempt to spark a revolution in Bolivia, is the basis of this intimate filmed portrait.

Bolivia, History, Social Movements/Resistance

Cocalero

An intimate portrait of the historic electoral campaign that made Evo Morales the first indigenous president of Bolivia. Through direct personal access to Morales, the filmmakers document his interactions with the union of Coca growers who formed his initial political base, the day-to-day management of the campaign, and attempts to educate voters about the electoral process. The film also explores connections between Morales and other leaders of the New Left in Latin America, as well as the conflicting views about his candidacy among more affluent Bolivians.

Bolivia, Indigenous Peoples, Politics/Human Rights

Cuestion De Fe, Una

In this lively road picture, three friends are contracted by a notorious gangster to create a carved statue depicting the Virgin Mary for a religious celebration in Bolivia. Domingo is the one commissioned to carve the life-size figure. After carving it, Joaquin, a gambler manages to procure a truck to transport it. They are also joined by Domingo's only friend Pepelucho. Loading the statue upright in the truck they set off on an incredible adventure.

Bolivia, Drama, Religion

Devil’s Miner, The

This film is a portrait of two brothers who work deep in the silver mines of Cerro Rico, Bolivia. Raised without a father and living on the slopes of the mine, 14-year-old Basilio and his 12-year-old brother must work to support their family and afford supplies vital to their education

Bolivia, Social Issues

Oro Maldito

Themes of greed and redemption weave through this story of a young man's obsessive search for gold. His quest takes him deep into the jungle and into fateful encounters with other "beings" in Bolivia's tropical region of Cochabamba.

Bolivia, Drama, Indigenous Peoples, Social Issues

Paulina Y El Condor/En Camino

These are two short animated films set in Bolivia, one made in Bolivia and the other in Switzerland. In "Paulina," a condor saves an Aymara girl from being obliged to become a maid in La Paz. In "En camino," a highland family moves to the big city to find a better life, but ultimately settles in the jungle, growing coca. (En camino is a silent film, with the German title Unterwags.)

Animated, Bolivia, Drama, Indigenous Peoples, Switzerland

Qati Qati: Susurros de muerte

This is a fiction film based on a short-story from Bolivian Andean region. Fulo, a man from a small village in Bolivia not believe old traditions regarding the existence of souls and spirits. He has to face his wife's mysterious disappearance as a punishment for challenging these ancient beliefs. Winner of the best scenic production award at the 1999 Latin American Film and Video Festival of Indigenous Communities.

Bolivia, Drama, Indigenous Peoples, Social Issues