Jorge Sanjinés

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When Bolivian campesinos discover American doctors sterilizing women without their consent, they seek revenge­­ –– only to be repressed by the military. Filmed in Quechua in a remote Kaata village, it was banned by government censors, until a heated campaign forced them to relent. It went on to win acclaim abroad while provoking demonstrations, a Senate investigation and the expulsion of the Peace Corps at home. The film’s lack of success with indigenous audiences drove Sanjinés turn to collective filmmaking.Read More »

The Bolivian fiction feature Yawar Mallku is one of the most famous examples of Latin American militant cinema. Like most Latin American militant films, this one was made on a modest budget in spite of major obstacles. Bolivia has no significant filmmaking traditions or facilities. Mules had to be used to transport the filmmakers and their equipment to a high and remote Indian community where parts of the film were shot. The Quechua-speaking Indians of this Andean community were initially hostile to the filmmakers until a coca-leaf divination ritual confirmed the filmmakers’ good intentions.Read More »