Indigenous Film at the Gardens: April 19, The Gift of Pachamama

In support of our 2011 exhibition, Native Roots | Modern Form: Plants, Peoples & the Art of Allan Houser, we are partnering with the International Institute for Indigenous Resource Management (IIIRM) to present a year-long film series highlighting indigenous voices and issues from around the world.

Films are free to the public; a suggested donation of $5 supports public programming at IIIRM and Denver Botanic Gardens.

Showing April 19, 2011 at 7 p.m.: The Gift of Pachamama (El Regalo de la Pachamama), Director Toshifumi Matsushita. Bolivia/Japan, 2008. 102 minutes

In Quechua and Aymara with English subtitles. Family-friendly.

"Pachamama" Directed by Toshifumi Matsushita, 2008

Pachamama is a warm and vibrant coming-of-age film that tells the story of Kunturi, a 13-year old boy who lives a traditional Quechua life with his family near Bolivia’s Salar de Uyuni (inland salt sea). Kunturi and his family cut bricks of salt by hand, which they use for barter. This is Kunturi’s first trip with his father, traveling the Ruta de la Sal, exchanging blocks of salt for the products of the Andes, the altiplano and the valleys. As they slowly make their way on this three-month trek, Kunturi’s many experiences – hardship, tragedy, and the joy of first love – reveal to him the gift of the Pachamama, the fullness of life itself, and his pride in his Quechua heritage.

Japanese director Toshifumi Matsushita shot the film entirely on location in Bolivia. Working with a non-professional cast over a period of six years, he created an engaging and heart warming docu-drama that is a family-friendly “must see.”

Doors at 6:30 p.m. in Gates Hall at Denver Botanic Gardens. Film starts at 7 p.m.