Winning accolades around the world, this atmospheric drama captures the consequences of colonisation and its resulting political tension in Chile, in many ways pertinent to our own Australian condition.
Determined teenager Manena serves as the innocent voice of reason in the story of her father, Don Francisco, and his determination to eradicate the carp from a lake in southern Chile. His land is located on the traditional grounds of the local Mapuche people.
Manena comes to the realisation that her father’s insensitive treatment of the land is angering the Mapuche tribe – she must stop him before he goes too far. As Francisco resorts to more and more extreme methods, Manena experiences her first love, and heartbreaking deception; and realises the complicated relationship between the Mapuche and the wealthy white landowners.
Through this story, the fundamental difference of philosophy becomes apparent between the European-descended landowners and South American natives, who believe they belong to the land, rather than vice versa.
