Utama

Utama is a quiet film of simple living, a loving and hardworking family, and the wait for death. Virginio and Sisa are an elderly couple farming in the Bolivian highlands. They get by, despite the dire heat, lack of water and scarce food. The arrival of their grandson, Clever, brings about the question of whether to move into the city for an easier life and let go of their traditional values. Meanwhile, Virginio struggles to hide his ailing and failing body from Sisa, wanting to be the one to care for her instead.

Despite the linear and simple plot, there are a lot of nuances to every line in the script. The film heavily relies on visual storytelling rather than dialogue, so every spoken word holds a lot of weight. There are metaphors for Virginio’s health, the omnipresence of Clever’s dad highlighting generational disagreements, as well as the debate on industrial city life against traditional and natural methods of farming. A whiff of conservative values and religious belief is evident in Virginio’s acceptance of the spirituality of death, rather than relying on manmade and medical care while still on earth.

Cinematography reflects these subtleties with the basics of photography: symmetry – side-by-side and centre framing – identifies the idea of unity and separation, exhibiting the strong bond between Virginio and Sisa, while also highlighting Sisa and Clever’s frustration with Virginio’s ongoing stubbornness. Good use of the rule of thirds strengthens Virginio’s impending death, as well as heightening his feelings of isolation and the deserted atmosphere of the location. The lack of background music also helps to emphasise the barren loneliness of the drought.

The intimacy on screen makes the audience uncomfortable and aware of Virginio’s health, achieving this through the senses. Natural and on-location sounds further the immersion in nature, and Virginio’s heavy breathing is a loud-and-clear reminder of his condition. Exaggerated and natural lighting – such as sunbeams and the warmth of the single lightbulb in their home – allows the audience to feel the suffocating heat through the screen. This in turn underlines how the conditions and his workload only serve to worsen his health. Utama excels in using little things to express meaning in every frame and sound.

Mae Trumata

Utama is released digitally on demand on 25^th November 2022.

Watch the trailer for Utama here: