“Part ethnographic documentary, part THE GODFATHER…the movie is a knockout."--David Edelstein, New York Magazine
“Part ethnographic documentary, part THE GODFATHER…the movie is a knockout."--David Edelstein, New York Magazine
From the Oscar-nominated makers of EMBRACE OF THE SERPENT comes this eerily brutal and richly colorful tale of the rise and fall over two decades of a family of the indigenous Wayuu clan of northern Colombia, when their tribal heritage and mystic beliefs come up against the temptation of riches from drug trafficking. Divided into five sections punctuated by narrative chants, the saga begins with the coming of age of Zaida (Natalia Reyes), daughter of tribal matriarch Úrsula (Martínez). A ritual dance culminates in Zaida’s choosing of a mate--handsome but impoverished Rapayet (Acosta), newly returned from the outside world. To earn her dowry, he turns to selling marijuana to hippie Peace Corps workers, the first step into a lucrative trade that will quickly become a vast family business bringing unimaginable wealth along with the curse of rivalry, betrayal, and warfare. Tribal bonds are tested and machismo falls short in the face of Úrsula’s ruthless resolve to protect her family. In Wayuu, Spanish, and English. DCP digital widescreen. (BS)