Fausta, the young Peruvian of Indian extraction, is suffering from a strange malady. When taken to a clinic to be examined, the doctor examining her, determines she has a growth in her vagina, he compares it to having a potato growing up inside her. The uncle explains to the doctor it is a condition deemed to be 'the milk of sorrow', something that was passed from her mother as she breast-fed Fausta when she was an infant. Many women were violated by the rebel groups that preyed on the Indian communities. In order to prevent being violated Fausta is carrying a potato in her vagina, something the science man cannot begin to imagine.
As the story begins, we see her with her mother who is singing a strange song, in Quechuan. Nothing seems to indicate she is suffering from an illness, but as the singing stops, the lady dies. Fausta is shocked when she realizes what has just happened. After accepting the fact about her mother, she must bury her. The uncle has already started to dig a spot in back of the house to serve as a tomb. Fausta does not have a lot of money. A visit to the undertakers prove to be useless, for she cannot afford to even buy the cheapest kind of funeral. In spite of that, Fausta and the women relatives, prepare the body by wrapping it in a sort of a shroud.
With the problem still at hand, Fausta is engaged as a maid in the home of a lady pianist. Her instructions are not to let any strangers in the house. The place is adjacent to what seems to be a public market. Fausta, a shy woman is amazed by what she finds in the fancy home, but she never gets close to the lady of the house. The breaking of a string of pearls, brings the maid to help the lady, who promises to give Fausta the pearls, eventually. The only person that is closer to the girl is the gardener, a man that, at times ogles the young girl with more than necessary, but nothing happens between them.
We witness a few garish weddings happening at the compound where Fausta's uncle lives. The family makes extra money by preparing these weddings, catering them, and providing entertainment. Sometimes Fausta helps serve the guests. After Fausta gets the pearls, her desire to bury the mother comes a possibility. We watch her and the relatives as they travel to a desert near the Pacific. Fausta knows exactly where will be her mother's resting place. The final shots of the film are full of symbolism. Fausta finds a small pot where two potatoes have flowered into a small plant.
Claudia LLosa, the Peruvian creator of this film, sets her film among the poor classes in a Lima suburb populated by the destitute. The place is not a ghetto, by any means, the only thing in common with that, would be the poor housing where the people in the story live. The area is located in hills with steep stairs that are used by the locals to come to town. Fausta is a symbol of the oppressed classes by representing a small part of that culture. Ignorance and superstition are rampant among the population, where even a doctor is questioned when it is evident Fausta has something that will lead to a bigger problem if not treated properly.
In Magaly Solier, Ms. LLosa has found a girl that personifies the type of individual she is supposed to be. Not having seen this actress before, or for that matter, any of the cast, seems to be a triumph for the director in getting the results she wanted to present. The character of Fausta is an enigma to most viewers. She is an aloof presence in the film. It is through her eyes the story is seen.
Natasha Braier, the cinematographer captured the dreary locales in which the film is set with somber reverence. The music is by Selma Mutal, relying in the type of musical influence from the group at the center of the story. Ms. LLosa's film is highly feminine, showing an innate talent for great things to come.
As the story begins, we see her with her mother who is singing a strange song, in Quechuan. Nothing seems to indicate she is suffering from an illness, but as the singing stops, the lady dies. Fausta is shocked when she realizes what has just happened. After accepting the fact about her mother, she must bury her. The uncle has already started to dig a spot in back of the house to serve as a tomb. Fausta does not have a lot of money. A visit to the undertakers prove to be useless, for she cannot afford to even buy the cheapest kind of funeral. In spite of that, Fausta and the women relatives, prepare the body by wrapping it in a sort of a shroud.
With the problem still at hand, Fausta is engaged as a maid in the home of a lady pianist. Her instructions are not to let any strangers in the house. The place is adjacent to what seems to be a public market. Fausta, a shy woman is amazed by what she finds in the fancy home, but she never gets close to the lady of the house. The breaking of a string of pearls, brings the maid to help the lady, who promises to give Fausta the pearls, eventually. The only person that is closer to the girl is the gardener, a man that, at times ogles the young girl with more than necessary, but nothing happens between them.
We witness a few garish weddings happening at the compound where Fausta's uncle lives. The family makes extra money by preparing these weddings, catering them, and providing entertainment. Sometimes Fausta helps serve the guests. After Fausta gets the pearls, her desire to bury the mother comes a possibility. We watch her and the relatives as they travel to a desert near the Pacific. Fausta knows exactly where will be her mother's resting place. The final shots of the film are full of symbolism. Fausta finds a small pot where two potatoes have flowered into a small plant.
Claudia LLosa, the Peruvian creator of this film, sets her film among the poor classes in a Lima suburb populated by the destitute. The place is not a ghetto, by any means, the only thing in common with that, would be the poor housing where the people in the story live. The area is located in hills with steep stairs that are used by the locals to come to town. Fausta is a symbol of the oppressed classes by representing a small part of that culture. Ignorance and superstition are rampant among the population, where even a doctor is questioned when it is evident Fausta has something that will lead to a bigger problem if not treated properly.
In Magaly Solier, Ms. LLosa has found a girl that personifies the type of individual she is supposed to be. Not having seen this actress before, or for that matter, any of the cast, seems to be a triumph for the director in getting the results she wanted to present. The character of Fausta is an enigma to most viewers. She is an aloof presence in the film. It is through her eyes the story is seen.
Natasha Braier, the cinematographer captured the dreary locales in which the film is set with somber reverence. The music is by Selma Mutal, relying in the type of musical influence from the group at the center of the story. Ms. LLosa's film is highly feminine, showing an innate talent for great things to come.