O

n Bolivia's inland salt sea (the Salar de Uyuni), 13-year-old Kunturi and his family cut bricks of salt by hand, which they use to barter for goods. The Quecha people have lived and worked close to the land for centuries (the term Pachamama means Mother Earth). It's not an easy life, but still rich with friends and family. When Kunturi's grandmother falls ill, his father decides to take his son on the almost four-month journey along the salt trail (the Ruta de la Sal). Their first stop is the Potosi mine to find a friend's long-absent father. As tragedy and joy commingle, Kunturi is forced to confront the complexities of adult life, including death, suffering and, most sweetly and powerfully of all, first love (Vancouver International Film Festival).

Contemporary Arts Alliance wishes to acknowledge the partnership of Toshifumi Matsushita in presenting Pachamama.

Preceded by

Baiana - World Premiere

(Canada, 2008, 6 mins.)

Directed by

Mariya Prokopenko

Produced by

Vanessa Shaver

T

his film is an opportunity for me as an artist to combine all the non-verbal components and bring the story to the viewer by means of image and sound. The originality of this project lies in combination of influences by classic filmmakers such as Norman McLaren and Carlos Saura and unconventional approach of photographing dance not as a stand-alone piece of art but as a component of kaleidoscopic image (from DirectorŐs Statement).

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