Under the desert sun of northern Colombia’s arid Guajira region, the Wayuu tribe has gathered to watch beautiful, crimson-clad Zaida perform her coming-of-age ceremony — in an intense dance that catches the eye of young suitor Rapayet. Unable to provide the hefty dowry required to take Zaida’s hand in marriage, Rapayet finds an opportunity for fast cash by helping young Peace Corps volunteers procure marijuana, which provides him not only with the dowry but also a taste of the dizzying pleasures of the outside world. Soon, under the guidance of fierce, tradition-bound matriarch Úrsula, what was meant to be a one-time deal morphs into a major drug trafficking enterprise. This new wealth sets in motion an explosive reckoning with the effects of unbridled ambition — and the consequences of turning one’s back on the natural world — in this powerful, epic tale of culture, family, and greed from the Oscar®-nominated creators of Embrace of the Serpent.

In competition for the CV Cine, FIPRESCI and Ricky Jay Magic of Cinema Awards.

 

Director Cristina Gallego