Bolivia is a landlocked country in central South America, bordered by Brazil, Paraguay, Argentina, Chile, and Peru. It is the fifth-largest country in South America and the 27th largest in the world. The country's population is multiethnic, including Amerindians, Mestizos, Europeans, Asians, Africans, Arabs, Jews, and some other mixtures throughout. Spanish is the official and predominant language, although 36 indigenous languages also have official status. Bolivia is named after Simón Bolívar, a Venezuelan leader in the Spanish American wars of independence.
The country's rich history and diverse culture have inspired many films, including:
- Cuestión de fe (A Matter of Faith)
- Zona Sur (Southern District)
- Visa American (American Visa)
- Los Andes no Creen en Dios (The Andes Don't Believe in God)
- ¿Quién mató a la Llamita Blanca? (Who Killed the White Llama)?
- Cocalero
- El Minero del Diablo (The Devil's Miner)
- El Cementerio de los Elefantes (The Elephant Cemetery)
Characteristics | Values |
---|---|
Country | Bolivia |
Official Name | Plurinational State of Bolivia |
Capital | Sucre |
Seat of Government | La Paz |
Largest City | Santa Cruz de la Sierra |
Population | 12 million |
Ethnic Groups | Amerindians, Mestizos, Europeans, Asians, Africans, Arabs, Jews, and some other mixtures |
Official Languages | Spanish, Aymara, Araona, Baure, Bésiro, Canichana, Cavineño, Cayubaba, Chácobo, Chimán, Ese Ejja, Guaraní, Guarasu'we, Guarayu, Itonama, Leco, Machajuyai-Kallawaya, Machineri, Maropa, Mojeño-Ignaciano, Mojeño-Trinitario, Moré, Mosetén, Movima, Pacawara, Puquina, Quechua, Sirionó, Tacana, Tapieté, Toromona, Uru-Chipaya, Weenhayek, Yaminawa, Yuki, Yuracaré, and Zamuco |
Religion | 78% Roman Catholic, 19% Protestant, 3% non-religious |
Film | Bolivia |
Director | Adrian Caetano |
Main Characters | Freddy, Enrique, Rosa |
Plot | Freddy, a Bolivian rendered jobless by the American war on drugs, crosses the border to Argentina, where he gets a job as a short-order cook in a restaurant run by Enrique, who is by turns cruel and compassionate. |
What You'll Learn
- The film 'Bolivia' is about a Bolivian man who migrates to the USA to live the American dream
- 'Zona Sur' is about an upper-class family who live in the wealthy Southern District of La Paz
- 'Visa American' is about a retired English teacher who travels to La Paz to acquire a US visa
- 'Los Andes no Creen en Dios' is about a young and well-educated writer who falls in love with a woman of mixed race
- '¿Quién mató a la Llamita Blanca' is about two married criminals who attempt to smuggle a huge load of cocaine to the Brazilian border
The film 'Bolivia' is about a Bolivian man who migrates to the USA to live the American dream
The film *Bolivia* is about a Bolivian man who migrates to Buenos Aires, Argentina, in search of employment as an undocumented worker. Freddy Flores, the protagonist, is a gentle man who has lost his job after Americans burn down the coca fields where he is employed. With little work opportunities in Bolivia, he leaves his wife and three daughters behind, hoping to make money and have them join him in Buenos Aires when he saves up enough.
In Buenos Aires, Freddy finds a job as a grill cook in a seedy café-bar in the lower-middle-class suburb of Villa Crespo. The owner of the café is happy to skirt Argentinian immigrant laws in order to secure cheap labour. Freddy faces abuse and discrimination from intolerant locals and the café's brutish owner. Despite the challenges, he perseveres, sending money back home and dreaming of the day when he can bring his family to Buenos Aires.
The film delivers a powerful message about xenophobia and poverty in South America in the modern era. It was directed by Israel Adrian Caetano and was his first feature-length film. The film was well-received, winning several awards, including the Best Feature Young Critics Award at the Cannes Film Festival in 2001.
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'Zona Sur' is about an upper-class family who live in the wealthy Southern District of La Paz
Zona Sur is a film directed by Juan Carlos Valdivia, which premiered in 2009. It tells the story of an upper-class family living in the wealthy Southern District of La Paz, Bolivia, during a time of social change and revolution. The family is "locked into their own little world", and the film explores race and class issues, and how an apartheid society coexists within very closed quarters.
The mother and her three children live in a large house surrounded by a beautiful garden. Their comfortable bubble is slowly burst by internal and external forces, and the film relates the story of the family's final days. The drama unfolds slowly, without narrative ploys, observing the day-to-day activities of the family until their world collapses.
The film has a minimalist style and features a cast of non-actors. It consists of a series of carefully orchestrated circular sequence shots.
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'Visa American' is about a retired English teacher who travels to La Paz to acquire a US visa
Visa American is about a retired English teacher, Mario, who travels to La Paz to acquire a US visa. Mario is from the Bolivian countryside and is leaving his career, home, town, and past behind to follow his dream of seeing the United States. He hopes to become a part of the American dream; America to him is opportunity, stability, and a place to escape from his old life and reunite with his now adult son.
Mario arrives in La Paz to secure a travel visa for the US. Once there, he meets and befriends Blanca, an exotic dancer at the local strip club. Mario is a diligent man, and he is willing to revert to any measure possible to obtain that one thing which he wants most: a life in the United States.
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'Los Andes no Creen en Dios' is about a young and well-educated writer who falls in love with a woman of mixed race
Los Andes no Creen en Dios is about a young and well-educated writer who falls in love with a woman of mixed race. The film is set in the late 1920s in the small and remote mining town of Uyuni in the highlands of Bolivia, lying between a vast salt desert and towering mountains. The hero, Alfonso Claros, has been educated in France and arrives in Uyuni seeking to make his fortune in mining. He begins an affair with the sultry mestizo Claudina, but breaks it off due to local prejudice. Claudina turns to Joaquín, a friend of Alfonso, destroying the friendship between the two men. Alfonso befriends Clota, a former singer and now the local brothel keeper. Alfonso joins Genaro, a mystic and expert prospector, on a search for a gold vein in the mountains, and the quest turns out to be a turning point in both men's lives. Returning to Uyuni, Alfonso finds that Claudina and Clota have aroused the intolerance of the priest and the local women, who have embarked on a campaign against them. Sickened by events, Alfonso leaves Uyuni. Twenty years later, Alfonso is on the way to take up the position of Bolivian ambassador to France, when his train stops over in Uyuni. He meets Joaquín by accident, and as he remembers Claudina is confirmed in his feelings about Joaquín.
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'¿Quién mató a la Llamita Blanca?' is about two married criminals who attempt to smuggle a huge load of cocaine to the Brazilian border
¿Quién mató a la Llamita Blanca? (English: Who Killed the White Llama?) is a Bolivian film directed by Rodrigo Bellot. The plot follows two married criminals, Jacinto and Domitila, who are contracted by a shady foreigner called "El Negro" to transport a package of cocaine to the Brazilian border. The couple, also known as Los Tortolitos (the Lovebirds), embark on a journey through Bolivia, visiting Oruro, the Chapare province, and Cochabamba before heading down to the city of Santa Cruz. They are pursued by a duo of corrupt anti-narcotics officers who have been tipped off about the deal.
The film is a political satire, a crime heist story, and a cultural celebration. It offers a glimpse into contemporary Bolivia, rife with contradictions, corruption, and cocaine. It also serves as a hilarious indictment of U.S. imperialism, internal racism, and the hypocrisy involved in policing the drug trade. The characters' journey takes them from the highlands dominated by indigenous peoples to the lowlands where the white elite predominate, highlighting the cultural and geographic divisions within the country.
The film received mixed reviews, with some praising its entertaining and informative portrayal of contemporary Bolivia and its witty critique of social issues, while others criticized its acting, plot, and production quality.
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Frequently asked questions
No, there is no sequel to Bolivia. The film ends with the main character, Freddy, crossing the border to Argentina, where he gets a job as a short-order cook.
No, there is no sequel to Bolivia. The film ends with the main character, Freddy, getting a job as a short-order cook in Argentina.
No, there is no sequel to Bolivia. The film ends with the main character, Freddy, crossing the border to Argentina.