Altiplano

Shot in the high-altitude landscapes of the Andes Mountains of Peru, Altiplano follows multiple intersecting storylines across languages, nations, and histories. When residents of an Andean village, including the young Saturnina (Magaly Solier), find their community devastated by toxic mercury contamination by a nearby mine, they vent their anger against the mining company responsible. Their plight intersects with that of Belgian doctor Max (Olivier Gourmet) and his photojournalist wife Grace (Jasmin Tabatabai), who has withdrawn from her work following a traumatic experience in Iraq that led to the murder of her guide.

Independent filmmaking team Jessica Woodworth and Peter Brosens explore colonial legacies in the wake of globalization and extractive capitalism, presenting a complex narrative that critics have praised for its “meditative pace” and “lyrical storytelling,” with comparisons to the work of filmmakers like Bergman, Tarkovsky, and Malick.

With over fifty festival selections, Altiplano is a haunting, poetic meditation on indigenous exploitation and activism.

For this special hybrid event, the Pollock Theater will offer an in-person screening of Altiplano. Following the screening, we will present a pre-recorded discussion between writer/director team Jessica Woodworth and Peter Brosens, and moderator Stephen N. Borunda (Film and Media Studies, UCSB).