A travelogue, filmed in Ecuador: “In the ruins created by them and with the building blocks of the indigenous temples, the Spanish conquistadores erected their churches. Of the ancient cultures, they destroyed whatever they laid their eyes on, even the musical instruments by the indigenous people. Still, a lot has been preserved in what is now Ecuador. Art treasures endured thousands and thousands of years buried in the ground. By coincidence, they are found, uncovered by heavy rainfall or raging rivers. That’s where archaeologists conduct systematic excavations (or others excavate to sell the antique sculptures). The film is about the indigenous cultures of Ecuador, of what is past and what is preserved, of destruction and resistance, of persisting in new ways, of music in the villages high up in the Andes, of music in the cities and in a tropical climate among descendants of African slaves. The film is about Earth, about working with Earth, sacred to the indigenous people. An account of beauty that silences, of friendliness, also grief.” (Peter Nestler)
