Director Alejandro Loeza Grisi's Bolivian drama is about a
water crisis in the Bolivian highlands that prompts a small community to decide
whether to stay in their ancestral home or move to the city. An elderly
Quechua-speaking couple living in the arid highlands of the Andes, Altiplano,
the ailing Virginio knows he is going to die and spends his last days hiding
the situation from his wife, Sisa. A long life together hides behind the
Quechua couple. Together they are busy raising their llamas. There are high
mountains around his house. Virginio often looks up at the sky and expects it
to rain. Since there is no rain and the village well is empty, Sisa has to walk
on the river every day. Women from surrounding villages also come till the last
remaining spring.
Virginio, played by Jose Calcina, and Sisa, played by Luisa
Guiseppe, have a bunch of llamas, and when the surroundings begin to change, Virginio seems uninterested in Sisa’s choice on the
matter and wants to stay at all costs. The elderly couple is soon visited by
their grandson Clever role done by Santos Choque, who gets along great with
Sisa but is always bumping heads with Virginio. The two argue about what
is best for the family and eventually disagree. When Virginia's health deteriorates,
the decision to leave becomes dire, and the small family must choose to risk
the unknown and life they have always known.
The real champion of the film is cinematographer Barbara
Alvarez. Utama can be shot and broken and hung in a museum. The panoramic
views, in particular, are absolutely stunning. His clean and clear scenes with
a single character in the center of the frame make the audience feel at the
world's edge. Uttama has only three lead actors and at times feels more like a
drama than a film. It occurs over miles but seems very contained and
sometimes claustrophobic. Although the film has clear themes and thoughts about
global warming, this idea is expressed in a person's desire not to step out of
their home. As the film progresses, the whole reality of what it means to live
near these beautiful backdrops comes to mind. The audience would turn away from
wanting to see the set and beg the main character to leave. That emotional
rollercoaster is perfectly acted, and the supporting characters evoke the
feeling of being trapped in a big, empty space.
Utama is comfortable with almost everything. Acting won't
spoil anyone, but it's very natural. Calcina and Gispe's performance is understated
but powerful. The chemistry like Choque and Quisppe gives more life to the
film. It appears in a single shot, Choque's Clever
is telling his grandmother about his life, and it's heartwarming. Likewise,
Calcina appears in the same scene, doesn't utter a word, and develops a
heart-wrenching insistence on the face of giving up on a healthy family moment.
Utama is a very simple beautiful film with excellent
performances by the best cast. No part of Utama seems imaginary. Costumes are
part of the environment; Camera work is simple, but what is in front of the
camera is elevated beautifully. Cinematographer Alvarez transforms Bolivia in a
series of pictures, and director Grisi is the perfect way to tell a unique
story of love and life.
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