One of the most visually striking movies coming out of Sundance Film Festival this year was Alejandro Loayza Grisi’s Grand Jury Prize (World Cinema Dramatic) winner Utama. Shot by cinematographer Barbara Álvarez (Lucrecia Martel’s The Headless Woman), the film was selected as Bolivia’s Best International Feature Film Oscar entry and ahead of a theatrical release from Kino Lorber starting November 4, the first trailer has arrived.
Utama follows an elderly Quechua couple that has been living a tranquil life for years. While Virginio takes their small herd of llamas out to graze, Sisa maintains their home and walks for miles with the other local women to fetch precious water. When an uncommonly long drought threatens everything they know, they must decide whether to stay and maintain their traditional way of life or admit defeat and move in with family members in the city. Virginio and Sisa’s 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.
David Katz said in his review, “Utama is about the effects of climate change and its particular impact on South America’s indigenous communities, no doubt, but its other urgent subject depicts the challenges of a really ornery grandpa. The grandfatherly traits of having your tea brewed to a certain temperature, the non-negotiability of a spot on a particular armchair, and an absolute insistence on daily routine are all in evidence, and in a film that aims to be a universal story––where its lessons can be applied in any locale––this is still the element that rings truest. It’s quite a shock of recognition, as grandson Clever (Santos Choque, a nonprofessional like the entire cast) visits their home, to be branded a “brat” by gramps Virginio (Santos Choque); then he is calmly invited to the table for dinner with a reassuring pat from nana Sisa (Luisa Quispe).”
See the trailer below.
Utama opens on November 4 at Film Forum in New York City, and on November 11 at Laemmle Royal in Los Angeles, followed by Chicago, and other cities.