Destiny

Colour, 35 mm
Argentina, Spain, 2005, 102 min
WP – World premiere
Section: Official Selection - Competition

Synopsis

On the border of Bolivia and Argentina, where stunning scenery contrasts with the hopeless poverty of the inhabitatnts in their remote villages, a plane lands carrying a young man dressed as a priest and bringing luggage apparently stuffed with bibles for the  salvation of souls. But in these parts people need a different kind of salvation. To make a living, the villagers produce original ceramic works: the patterns, together with their destiny, are engraved using the bones of dead ancestors. Pedro’s fate, after a dramatic event, is in the hands of these inhabitants. Conversely, the village sees the sudden arrival of a priest as a sign and a chance to change their destiny. They are in disagreement as to how to overcome their poverty: either they continue their potter’s trade, or surrender to the avarice of some of them and destroy their sacred sites and culture. The hopes of both camps lie with Pedro: he is deemed the most qualified judge. Destiny is an adaptation of the novel by Héctor Tizón, The Man Who Came to a Village (El hombre que llegó a un pueblo).

About the director

Miguel Pereira (b. 1957, San Salvador de Jujuy, Argentina) studied film in Buenos Aires, at Minnesota University and later in London at the International Film School. In London he made documentaries for the BBC and Channel Four. After returning to Argentina he worked in practically all areas of the film industry. He is currently President and Artistic Director of the Mar del Plata International Film Festival, and he also directs and produces films in his company Capablanca Films. Select documentaries: Jujuy 400 Times (1993 – Golden Columbus in Huelva), Che... Ernesto (1997). Feature films: The Debt (1988 – Silver Bear in Berlin, Silver Hugo in Chicago, Silver Makhila in Biarritz), The Last Harvest (1990 – Best Screenplay at the festival in Huelva, Bronze Sakura in Tokyo).