Sirwiñakuy, a new bolivian film, coming out in July 2010
Sirwiñakuy
Synopsis
Sirwiñakuy
Director: Amy Hesketh
Bolivia, the country, is changing. The once repressed indigenous peoples, such as the Aymaras and Quechuas, are making their voices heard in, often multitudinous, marches to the city. One such march is taking place outside a charming coffee house in the middle of La Paz, where Luis Montéz, a middle aged man from the former ruling class, is having coffee with Beto. a friend and associate.
Luis spots Anouk, an enigmatically beautiful young French woman who is eating with obvious bad manners while conversing with her friend.
After both Anouk’s and Luis’ friends leave, Luis approaches Anouk and, without introducing himself, asks her to go with him. To his surprise she accepts.
The pair take a taxi to Anouk’s rented studio where Luis orders her to pack her things. She hesitates, but she does. She realizes that for Luis, this is not a pick up for a one night stand.
Luis takes Anouk to his crumbling old colonial house. Luis has decided to make Annouk participate of his own version of a Sirwiñakuy.
Anouk surprises Luis and herself, by going along with him, subjecting herself to his often sadistic attempts to make her become the woman that lies beneath what he sees as her childish exterior.
The meaning of Sirwiñakuy
For the Aymaras (one of the officially recognized 36 indigeneous nations that make the spanking new Estado Plurinacional de Bolivia), marriage begins with the Sirwiñakuy.
It works like this: a man takes the woman of his choice home, often by force or trickery, where they begin to live together.
While the woman appears to be submissive to the man, she is often the one making the decisions. If the woman proves her worth as a homemaker and pleases the man’s parents, the sirwiñakuy is successful and what follows is the official wedding. If not, the woman is sent back home in shame. The sirwiñakuy can last anywhere from a couple of weeks to a couple of years.
