Raíz

Through Rocks and Clouds | Durch Felsen und Wolken
Eight-year-old Feliciano spends his days herding alpacas in a remote region of the Andes. His only companions are Ronaldo, a young alpaca, and Rambo, an old dog. Feliciano chats with them about football and the Peruvian national team’s World Cup qualifying matches. But behind this apparently monotonous and peaceful routine lies a threatening reality: a contaminated lake and his parents’ deep-seated anxieties. A mining company is pressuring the community to sell their land and is resorting to radical means of intimidation: several alpacas are found with their throats slit. The authorities ignore all pleas for help; Feliciano and the village are on their own. When Ronaldo disappears one day, Feliciano embarks on a desperate search. Meanwhile, his parents and neighbours band together to take action against the company...
by Franco García Becerra
with Alberth Merma, Nely Huayta, Richard Taipe, José Merma, Rubén Huillca
Peru / Chile 2024 Quechua, Spanish 83’ World premiere recommendation: 7 years and up

With

  • Alberth Merma (Feliciano)
  • Nely Huayta (Josefina)
  • Richard Taipe (Abel)
  • José Merma (Justino)
  • Rubén Huillca (Grimaldo)

Crew

Director Franco García Becerra
Screenplay Annemarie Gunkel, Alicia Quispe
Cinematography Johan Carrasco
Editing Franco García Becerra, Juan Francisco González
Music Daniel Castro
Sound Design Amador Del Solar
Sound Amador Del Solar
Production Design Edilberto Merida
Costumes Karina Lines
Make-Up Karina Lines
Casting Amaru Cardenas, Abel Anccalle, Carolina Niño de Guzman, Annemarie Gunkel
Producers Diego Sarmiento, Jorge Constantino, Annemarie Gunkel, Franco García Becerra
Executive Producers Diego Sarmiento, Jorge Constantino, Annemarie Gunkel, Franco García Becerra
Co-Producer Juan Francisco González
Co-Production Tierra en Trance Films Punta Arenas

Produced by

Desfase Films

Luna Roja Relatos Audiovisuales

Wayquicha Cine

Franco García Becerra

Born in Cusco, Peru in 1977. His short film Indie won the Peruvian Short Film Award in 2008 while his next short Lima, 2011 received the Best Short Film and Best Screenplay awards from the Ministry of Culture of Peru in 2011 and won Best Short Film at the Peruvian Film Festival in Paris in 2013. His debut feature film Southern Winds premiered at the Lima Film Festival and went on to screen at festivals including the Santo Domingo Global Film Festival, the Chicago Latino Film Festival and the Cine Las Americas International Film Festival.

Filmography

2008 Indie; short film 2011 Lima, 2011; short film 2018 Vientos del sur (Southern Winds) 2024 Raíz (Through Rocks and Clouds)

Bio- & filmography as of Berlinale 2024