The Condor Daughter La Hija Cóndor

Synopsis

High in a remote community in the Bolivian Andes, a tender Quechua song ushers a new life into the world. Young Clara has learned these songs, and the sacred ways of midwifery, from her adoptive mother Ana, with whom she cares for the pregnant women of the surrounding villages. Despite her sense of duty to her people and respect for their midwifing tradition, Clara is a smart and curious girl tempted by the outside influences creeping into the community. When she runs off to the city to become a singer, she leaves a dark void in her wake.

Álvaro Olmos Torrico’s mesmerizing tale of encroaching modernity in an Indigenous family is a film of stunning contrasts: the sweeping pastoral landscapes and lush warmth of the village against the decadent neon of Cochabamba nightlife; the windswept quiet against the cacophonous city streets; the sounds of Quechua and Spanish. Grounded by deeply affecting performances and a cinematic exploration of music and song, Clara’s poetic journey is one toward the self.