Synopsis
Between 1932 and 1935, there was severe military conflict on the border between Bolivia and Paraguay, because of suspicions there might be oil. This historical drama about the Chaco war focuses on a small Bolivian regiment wandering across the inhospitable, dry Chaco plain. The group of Bolivian, Aymara and Quechua Indigenous soldiers are led by gruff German commander Hans Kundt, who refuses to accept how fruitless his mission has become. Despite dwindling rations, dissidents, and fights among his men, he is determined to continue. Isolation, despair, and hunger grow with every day, every hellish march, and every hastily erected camp. The miserable war transforms into a battle with their own demons, all with scarcely a gunshot heard in this sensuous film. 77 minutes. Spanish, Quechua and Aymara with English subtitles.
Bolivia’s candidate for the 2021 Academy Awards.