Cinematography by Paul de Lumen
Editing by Ivan Layme
Original music by Cergio Prudencio
Cast: Ninón del Castillo, Pascual Loayza, Nicolás Fernández, Juan Pablo Koria
Bolivia, 2009, KMT Global Films, 35mm, color, 108 min.
Spanish/Aymara with English subtitles
With the ascendancy of Socialist Evo Morales to the presidency of Bolivia and his subsquent nationalizing of various industries, the Hispanic upper class is no longer sure of its power and position. One such family, led by a very strong-willed but ultimately clueless divorcee, is struggling to hold on finanially. The college-age children don't yet realize that their days of privilege and self-indulgence are about to end, while the youngest son wants the cook to make the food spicier so people won't think "they are White." Not only is Wilson the cook, but he is also the dresser and confidant of Carola, "the lady of the house." In fact, the relationship between Wilson and Carola is quite complex, but that doesn't mean she treats him well. In short, ZONA SUR provides a microcosm of the social upheaval taking place in a country in which the indigenous people are finally reasserting socio-political control. This was Bolivia's entry for Best Foreign Language Film in the 2010 Academy Awards.