Southern District (2009)
"Zona sur" (original title)

For a rich upper-class family locked into their own little world, Bolivia's social changes threaten to burst their bubble.

Director:

Juan Carlos Valdivia

Writer:

Juan Carlos Valdivia (screenplay)

Stars:

Ninón del Castillo, Pascual Loayza, Nicolás Fernández

3 wins & 2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview:
Ninón del Castillo	...	Carola
Pascual Loayza	...	Wilson
Nicolás Fernández	...	Andres
Juan Pablo Koria	...	Patricio
Mariana Vargas	...	Bernarda
Viviana Condori	...	Marcelina
Luisa De Urioste	...	Carolina
Glenda Rodríguez	...	Erika
Ximena Alvarez	...	Aunt Rosario
Juana Chuquimia	...	Comadre Remedios

Storyline

In La Paz -as opposed to many other cities- the rich live below, which is the Southern District. Life goes on without major mishaps in a large house surrounded by a beautiful garden. It is a wonderful world, a great bubble of comfort, where different personal spheres coexist: the mother, along with her three children and the Aymara inhabitants of the house. The drama surfaces slowly, without narrative ploys, observing day-to-day activities until internal and external forces make the bubble burst. The film relates the story of the final days of an upper-class family, at a time when the country is undergoing social changes.

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Plot Keywords:

upper class | aymara people | bolivia

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Genres:

Drama

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Details

Official Sites:

Official site [es]

Country:

Bolivia

Language:

Spanish Aymara

Release Date:

11 March 2011 (UK)

Also Known As:

Southern District

Company Credits

Production Co:

Cinenómada

Technical Specs

Runtime:

108 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Color:

Color (35 mm version) Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

In September 2009, the film was selected to represent Bolivia in the Best Foreign Language Film category at the 2010 Academy Awards.

User Reviews

Beautifully accomplished film

I saw this film on the last day of the Berlinale and it's seduced me right away. The room by room 360 degree rotating camera scenes did remind me slightly uncomfortably of estate agent guides however the film deserves a lot of credit for its subtlety and restraint. The characters are entirely realistic and multi-dimensional, a rarity in films dealing with class and race. In particular the exchanges between mother and daughter for me exemplified the balance and impartiality of the film.

I would thoroughly recommend this whether you are looking for an examination of class, race and family or just wish for a couple of hours of stunning scenery, endearing characters and beautiful music.