Birds of Passage - Cristina Gallego & Ciro Guerra (2018)

English version of the most read review

 Birds of Passage (Pájaros de verano) is a magical film that is part of the selection of the 65th International Film Festival (2018). I had never read or heard anything about this film, and I didn't even know what movie I was going to see when I sat down in the theater. Discovering it was wonderful. On the one hand, it made me think about the preservation of texts through oral tradition; on the other hand, it made me think about the magic of preserving a Native American language and capturing it on film. The Wayuu say that the word is peace; therefore, killing a palabrero (storyteller) is unthinkable. It is a hybrid between a drug trafficking film and an anthropological documentary. The drug trafficking story could be inconsequential if it were not mixed with Wayú culture. The film allows us to witness the journey of a man who starts with good intentions, gets lost, and tries to correct his course and make amends. However, even when he is willing to lose everything to save his family, the spirits will not forgive him.

One of the characters tells us that dreams are the proof that humans have a soul, and those words stayed with me because the soul is the central theme of the film and it is the soul that makes it special.

The purpose of traditions is to ensure that their people live in the right way. This means that each culture believes it has discovered the laws of nature and has passed them down from generation to generation so that people can live in the best possible way.

The actions of men are not inconsequential. This simple message permeates the entire film. Every human action that disturbs the spirits requires another to compensate them. This tragedy only concludes when the spirits consider that the order of the universe has been restored, so that telling what happened should be a reminder that it is better to comply with the rites and respect the natural laws. 

In addition to all this, the landscapes and photography are superb. The sober tone of the film does not allow the tension to dissipate. I find it to be an excellent film. If anything I have described moves you, look for it. (Ab.)