El destino

On the border of Bolivia and Argentina, where stunning scenery contrasts with the hopeless poverty of the inhabitants 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). (Festival information)