La Laguna del Soldado

For over two centuries, the damp and contested Páramo region has witnessed human peril and conquest. Guided by the ghost of Simón Bolívar, El Liberator, the film traces the soul of Colombia.  

Director Pablo Alvarez-Mesa skilfully intertwines oral history with manipulated images of a scarred yet resilient ecosystem in the high Andes. Despite tales of human dominance, he allows the marshlands to become the film’s focal point, offering a profound sense of place. Through this experimental mood piece, he recalibrates the viewer’s senses, leading them on a surreal journey through the histories of a mist-shrouded landscape that has been the bloody stage for the clash between Indigeneity and colonialism. The immersive soundscape is complemented by a range of voices, each offering a different perspective of the region —surprisingly warm and soothing, considering the context. -Thomas Streekstra