Landscape splendor, power struggle, violence, faith and cultural heritage all mix in this remarkable documentary about Nélida Ayay Chilón, a young Native American woman who witnesses the imminent disappearance of a lagoon in her land, a water body surrounded by the majestic Andes, as a mining company (with the support of the Peruvian government) threatens to extract the gold below the lake, destroy the ecosystem and the water source of many local peasants, and rob the woman of her land. Once again an audiovisual portrait reaffirms the abuse of Native Americans by those who struggle for power and wealth. The film follows Nélida in her efforts to prevent the destruction, and shows us the conflict with her miner father and the violent reaction of the police force in the streets against protesters, which leaves a balance of five dead. As a sudden and unexpected contrast, director Ernesto Cabellos Damián introduces a Dutch jewelry designer, whose worldview sustains her apparently neutral and depoliticized life style, and who is able to witness the method used to extract the gold used in her creations, and perhaps understand that a decimated nature denies life. As unifying elements, the soundtrack contains the invocations Nélida makes to the water spirits, asking for strength and protection; and the magnificent images, captured by Carlos Sanchez and Jessica Steiner, emphasize the drama and make clear the measure of destruction threatening the calm beauty
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