Interview: Jessica Woodworth (Altipano)

Grace (Jasmin Tabatabai) is a war photographer who abandons her career after suffering from some terrible losses and Max (Olivier Gourmet), her husband, is an eye doctor who often works at a clinic in Peru. At the same time, we follow the story of Saturnina (Magaly Solier) and the village (Turumba) nearby that is being victimized by mercury contamination. The combination of sorrow, anger and hope takes hold of the film, essentially describing how people might be living separate lives but are coping with the same issues: the awakening of inner pain, the will to find peace within and find security in their own “land”.

Validating the true meaning of what it is to see your own land being possessed by foreign hands, Peter Brosens and Jessica Woodworth’s Altiplano is comprised of beautiful shots, symbolic imagery and carries a mood reminiscent of Alejandro Jorodowsky’s films. While both filmmakers aren’t of Peruvian descent, they have an eloquent understanding for why these inhabitants would seek revenge and respect. Francisco Gozon’s pristine treatment of B&W flashbacks and the panoramic shots further makes this film a journey that is hard to describe in words, not surprisingly selected in the Cannes Film Festival sidebar (2009’s Critic’s Week), Altiplano brings a slight hint of political engagement but also a powerful spiritual contact between the characters dealing with loss while their spirits are allowed to comfort one another. 

I had the chance to speak with one half of the team that gave us Khadak in 2007, and their follow-up film which landed in theaters this past weekend.

Anny Gomes: How would you describe this film to snare an audience?
Jessica Woodworth: A war photographer loses her soul in Iraq. A bride in the Andes sacrifices herself in protest. These two souls will meet on the altiplano.

At ALTIPLANO’s heart is an ongoing invisible conflict in the Peru. We say ‘invisible’ because many individuals who take up arms against the industrial giants operating in the mineral-rich Andes disappear. We say ‘invisible’ because there is so little profound coverage of these conflicts in our media. But our intention is not to illustrate injustices. ALTIPLANO should evoke an inner dialogue and, ideally, leave an indelible mark etched on the soul of the viewer.

The film is built upon moments of trauma and loss but is, fundamentally, an expression of our faith in the possibility of mutual understanding between people.

Gomes: I noticed similarities between Altiplano and Alejandro Jodorowsky’s works. Were there any films that influenced you in regard to the tone or perspective of this movie?
Woodworth: The strongest inspiration for the film was the place itself: the Peruvian altiplano. Secondly, music. But, indeed, we are enormously appreciative of the films of Pasolini, Tarkovsky, Angelopoulos, Sokurov, Antonioni, Malick, Gus Van Sant, Chen Kaige, Bela Tarr, Peter Mettler, Jay Rosenblatt, Mundruczo, Reygadas, and the list goes on. But our tastes range widely. Mars Attacks is just great.

Gomes: How did you first find out about this story?
Woodworth: The story for the film derives from numerous sources. But our point of departure in the writing process was reality. For example, the devastating mercury spill in the Peruvian village of Choropampa in 2000 inspired several of the concepts of ALTIPLANO.

As storytellers, we are drawn to upheavals that strike the cords of global public debates on ethics and responsibility. Saturnina’s death, for example, is based upon a peculiar form of suicide which is common in certain parts of Latin America – the protest suicide – which Peter studied in the early 90s during his years spent living between Ecuador and Peru. In fact, Peter’s first documentaries feature an Andean community that is plagued by alcohol, suicide and destructive foreign aid strategies.

ALTIPLANO is not a film about Peru but a film created with Peru.

From the very outset the core concept was that of an image-maker (Grace) ending up in the Andes where she would eventually brush up against the soul of a young warrior who had sacrificed herself. This ephemeral encounter between the two was our beacon. And it being accompanied by Gorecki’s symphony was the final articulation of the film – albeit one that is almost impossible to describe with words.

Gomes: The scenes were amazingly shot. The camera work was just superb. Was that something you were deeply concerned about from the start?
Woodworth: The image and its power and politics being one of the predominant themes of the film, we naturally considered every single shot for months, years even. But on set we respond very flexibly to the environment so some images emerged from deeply felt inspiration on location on the actual day of shooting.

Allowing time to flow through imagery was critical. The key was to anticipate how much time each shot would demand in the edit and how the composition should evolve with slow camera movements.

The images are not only illustrating plot-related information. In fact, they ideally are doing so much more. But the choices are intricately linked to the actual place and its gentle flow of time. The theatricality of certain compositions is also derived from the intrinsic theatricality of certain rituals and customs.

In fact, every element, every ritual, every mask, every stitch of clothing, is authentic. This is a result of years spent working alongside Peruvian anthropologists and locals who helped us to bring the film to life with integrity. After all, it is also made with a Peruvian audience in mind.

Gomes: Religion and the “journey” of devotion to find answers through religion is a huge part of the Latin American culture. I felt Altiplano was some sort of a lost voice of Latin American citizens, always struggling and being explored by other countries. How could you relate to something so strongly related the Latin culture?
Woodworth: We, the filmmakers, actually profess no faith. But we believe those who believe. Our search for the sublime in cinema fits naturally with the subject of faith, the invisible, and the mysterious forces at play in our fragile world. I have only glimpsed the sublime in cinema. In fact, the film I hold dearest to my heart is Pasolini’s ‘The Gospel According to Saint Matthew’.

Gomes: Please tell us about your new project. What is it about and what inspired to pursue it?
Woodworth: We are struggling to finance our third feature now. It is set in Belgium in the near future. Nature declares war on man. That is all I can divulge for the moment. Even though the market is thoroughly discouraging, we will develop our cinematic language further and hopefully create a meaningful film that somehow reaches an audience. It is a constant struggle on every level. But we have faith in cinema. And we have faith in the public.

First Run Features released Altipano in theaters this past weekend.