WINNER: UTAMA, Alejandro Loayza Grisi’s Hypnotic Bolivian Eco-Drama, wins Grand Jury Prize |Sundance
**WINNER - Grand Jury Prize: World Cinema Dramatic**
UTAMA
Alejandro Loayza Grisi’s Hypnotic Meditation
on the Erosion of Life in the Bolivian Altiplano
"An intimate and tender portrayal of a family struggling to uphold their traditional way of life and finding resilience in the face of loss. This beautifully shot first feature brings into life and into focus the effect of climate change on the indigenous populations of South America."
photo credit: Sundance Press
- Sundance 2022 World Cinema Competition Jury
"VISUALLY STUNNING. The images conjured in Utama momentarily let us into the language of the unknown."
- Carlos Aguilar, IndieWire
"SUBLIME. Seizes the imagination, rendering spiritual what might seem mundane if we only saw it more often."
- Peter Debruge, Variety
"EXTRAORDINARY. Grabs you from the opening minutes. A work that, with the help of the endlessly fascinating locations, keeps your eyes riveted."
- Todd McCarthy, Deadline
"MEDITATIVE AND DEEPLY ROMANTIC. Rarely has the climate change crisis been addressed as organically."
- Marya E. Gates, RogerEbert.com
In the arid Bolivian highlands, an elderly Quechua couple has been living the same daily routine for years. When an uncommonly long drought threatens their entire way of life, Virginio and Sisa face the dilemma of resisting or being defeated by the passage of time. Everything is precipitated by the arrival of their grandson Clever, who comes to visit with news.
In Alejandro Loayza Grisi’s astonishing feature debut, the three of them will face, each in their own way, the environment, the necessity for change, and the meaning of life itself.
Written & Directed By: Alejandro Loayza Grisi
Starring: José Calcina, Santos Choque, Luisa Quispe
Produced By: Santiago Loayza Grisi, Federico Moreira
U.S. Sales: CAA
Int’l Sales: Alpha Violet
