Utama

An elderly Quecha couple face the existential threat of climate change in this tale of love, survival and tradition at high altitude, which won Sundance’s World Cinema Dramatic Grand Jury Prize.

On one of the Andes’ vast plateaus, Virginio and Sisa spend their days tending to a herd of llamas. It’s a hard yet harmonious existence, and now times are getting harder: Virginio is ill, and water is becoming increasingly scarce, putting their animals – and thus their own lives and livelihoods – at risk. When their grandson visits from La Paz, he attempts to convince them to move with him to the Bolivian capital. But it will take more than that to break the lifelong lovers’ resolve to stay put and remain connected with their land and culture.

Vividly capturing the rare beauty of the Bolivian Altiplano and the authentic world of its non-professional leads, photographer-turned-filmmaker Alejandro Loayza Grisi’s astounding debut feature has screened to acclaim across the globe, receiving awards and nominations at the Sundance, Göteborg, Málaga and Cyprus film festivals. Visually captivating and emotionally devastating, Utama portrays the danger posed by the climate catastrophe on traditional ways of life, as well as Indigenous communities’ resilience against intensifying odds.

“Through the love story at the heart of this visually arresting feature debut, Utama offers the audience a relatable connection with a way of life which is verging on extinction … A strikingly beautiful work.” – Screen Daily