SYNOPSIS
On Bolivia's inland salt sea (the Salar de Uyuni), 13-year-old Kunturi and his family cut bricks of salt by hand, which they use to barter for goods. The Quecha people have lived and worked close to the land for centuries (the term Pachamama means Mother Earth). It's not an easy life, but still rich with friends and family. When Kunturi's grandmother falls ill, his father decides to take his son on the almost three-month journey along the salt trail (the Ruta de la Sal). Their first stop is the Potosi mine to find a friend's long-absent father. As tragedy and joy commingle, Kunturi is forced to confront the complexities of adult life, including death, suffering and, most sweetly and powerfully of all, first love.
BIO & FILMOGRAPHY OF DIRECTOR
Born in kakogawa, Hyogo, Japan. After graduating from Doshisha University ( Law),worked at Shouchiku Kyoto Film Studio as assistant director. In 1979, came to the United States to study filmmaking at New York University. In 1981, started as a producer at Entel Communication, Inc., a Japanese television company based in NYC. In 1987, founded Dolphin Productions to make documentaries and TV programs. Director & producer of the following: BIG CHIEF 20min.1992, CUBA AMOR 40min.1995, VOODOO KINGDOM 45min./ 15min.1998 and PACHAMAMA (104min. 2008 / 102 min. 2009 new version) First full-length feature film, shot on location in Bolivia from 2002-07.
Producer, Editor, Screenplay and Director Toshifumi Matsushita / Executive Producer Keiko Komori / Directors of photography Gustavo Soto, Guillermo Ruiz, Carlos Crespo, Cesar Perez Hurtado / Music Luzmila Carpio / Actors Christian Huaygua, Luis Mamani, Faniy Mosques, Francisco Gutierrez, Hilaria Cabrera, Francisco Lazo, Emiliana Panama
SPEC
ORIGINAL TITLE: El Regalo de la Pachamama / ENGLISH TITLE: The Gift of Pachamama(A.K.A. Pachamama) / JAPANESE TITLE: パチャママの贈りもの(Pachamama no Okurimono) / GENRE: Fiction / PRODUCTION YEAR: 2009(final version completed on Sep.4 2009 in Japan) / PRODUCTION COUNTRY: Japan, Bolivia, USA / LANGUAGES : QUECHUA (part,Spanish&aimara) / LOCATION PLACE: Bolivia / SHOOTING FORMAT: SUPER 16mm / SHOOTING EQUIPMENT: ARIFEX SR / MASTER FORMAT: HD-D5 6500KB / FINAL MASTER FORMAT: HDCAM-SR 24P 6500KB / SCREEN SIZE: American Vista(1:1.85) / VISUAL : COLOR(part, black & white ) / SOUND: Stereo / SCREENING FORMAT: 35mm(6 reels), HDCAM etc. / LENGTH :102min30sec/ SUBTITES: Japanese, English, Spanish