Direction: Álvaro Olmos Torrico
Country: Bolivia
Set in the Bolivian Andes, The Condor Daughter is a drama fueled by authenticity and outstanding, natural performances. Bolivian writer-director Álvaro Olmos Torrico returns seven years after Wiñay (2018) with a deliberately paced yet quietly powerful film, showcasing the gradual loss of tradition in the face of modernity.
It brings a mix of mournful and liberating tones to the table as young Clara (María Magdalena Sanizo), who assists her midwife mother, Ana (Marisol Vallejos Montaño), decides to leave the remote, mountainous village of Totorani and pursue her dreams in the big city. But her departure coincides with a devastating storm that leaves dead animals and dried crops in its wake, prompting the villagers to interpret the calamity as a curse. Blaming Clara for the misfortune, they force her mother to go in search of her and bring her back.
There’s a lot of resignation but also heart in a film of rare visual beauty—Peruvian cinematographer Nicolás Wong (La Llorona, 2019) assures that every frame is marvelously lit and composed—and powerful, uncomplicated storytelling.
