Birds of Passage

Synopsis & Film Details

Colombia’s official 2019 Oscar entry for Best Foreign Language Film, this audacious, international co-production is a drug-running drama that plays as a sprawling exploration of loyalty, greed, and the erosion of tradition in pursuit of material wealth. The film centers on the Wayúu indigenous peoples during a crucial period in recent Colombian history. Torn between a desire for power and his duty to uphold cultural values, Rapayet enters the drug-trafficking business in the 1970s. He finds quick success despite the disapproval of his tribe’s matriarch, Ursula. Ignoring ancient omens, Rapayet and his family get caught in a conflict where honor is the highest currency and debts are paid with blood. From the Oscar-­nominated team behind the genre­-defying Embrace of the Serpent, filmmakers Christina Gallego and Ciro Guerra draw stunning performances from Carmiña Martínez and José Acosta, as they re-imagine the epic western by infusing it with visual surrealism. In Wayúu, Spanish, and English, with English subtitles.
Assistive listening services are not available for this film.

Directors: Christina Gallego and Ciro Guerra
Colombia/Denmark/Mexico (2018) • 125 minutes • Not Rated
Distributor: The Orchard