This movie was released in late 2009 and early 2010 so it was probably being written and filmed about the time Bolivia was working to replace its 1967 constitution with the current one adopted on February 7th, 2009. One of the young characters mentions that he wants to study Constitutional Law, to learn more about this new constitution.
Not to be disrespectful to this fine movie but for me an equally important gain was the impetus to learn more about Bolivia, this South American country locked by its surrounding countries, Chile, Peru, Brazil, Paraguay, and Argentina. In its short almost 200 year history it has had at least six different constitutions.
It is not clear to me in this movie, set in the Southern District of La Paz, why this is happening but we see a family living in an obviously wealthy manner, large sprawling home with expensive appointments, generous land with gardens and trees, all enclosed by a stone security wall and locked metal bar gates. Their lifestyle includes a maid and a man servant who does everything for the divorced lady of the house, even fetching her underwear and purse for the evening. He has been there 25 years and operates almost as a passive husband who also drives the car, prepares meals, and keeps up the property.
But he hasn't received any salary for at least the past 6 months. There doesn't seem to be any money to pay the grocers and the family's ability to buy on credit seems to be ending. The lady seems to be a businesswoman but there is no indication that funds are coming in, it is clear that their whole way of life, including college for the two older children, is in jeopardy.
Near the end of the movie an indigenous woman arrives for a visit, along with her is a suitcase full of cash, she apparently knows about the financial difficulties and offers to buy the house for a large sum so she can convert it for use by her own extended family. There is no specific resolution but as the movie ends the lady of the house has started to wrap framed family photos and her young son asks why she is crying. The message is very subtle, as are the occasional images of adults in the house gazing out a window with the right palm pressed against the glass.
Perhaps that final element of the story was to show that the old money wealthy families are now gradually being replaced by the indigenous peoples who had centuries earlier been pushed out, as Bolivia's new constitution calls for a mixed economy of state, private, and communal ownership, and restricts private land ownership.
This is a very interesting movie but as an English speaker I had to quickly read bright yellow subtitles. The characters speak very fast in most conversations. I found this on DVD at my public library, my wife skipped, she doesn't like movies with subtitles.
