Utama
Description
Elderly Quechua couple Virginio and Sisa live quiet, mundane lives in the Bolivian highlands tending to their herd of llamas. But the passage of time and an unusually long drought brought on by environmental change threaten their pastoral existence. When their grandson Clever comes to visit and help them with the animals, he also tries to persuade them to join him in the city where family can care for them. Bolivian director Alejandro Loayza Grisi employs luminous cinematography in this winner of the Sundance Film Festival World Cinema – Dramatic Grand Jury Prize winner, as he examines the intricate relationship between land and humanity in a drama that provides subtle commentary on the impact of climate crisis and the loss of indigenous traditions.
PRESENTED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH
La Paz, Bolivia, native Alejandro Loayza Grisi studied communication at the Catholic University of Bolivia and advertising in Cordoba, Argentina. He has worked in various capacities in film, including as a cinematographer and producer. He makes his writing-directing debut with Utama (2022), winner of the World Cinema Grand Jury Prize at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival.
Film Details
Language Spanish, Quechua
Year 2022
Premiere California
Runtime 87
Country Bolivia, Uruguay, France
Director Alejandro Loayza Grisi
Executive Producer Marcos Loayza Grisi
Producer Santiago Loayza Grisi, Federico Moreira
Writer Alejandro Loayza Grisi
Editor Fernando Epstein
Cinematographer Barbara Alvarez
Cast José Calcina, Santos Choque, Luisa Quispe
Print Source Alpha Violetfestivals@alphaviolet.com https://www.alphaviolet.com/utama/
Closed Captions Closed captions are not available for this screening.
Audio Description Audio description is not available for this screening.
American Sign Language (ASL) Interpretation American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation is not currently scheduled for this event. For more information about ASL interpretation at our events, e-mail ADA@SFFilm.org.