Cocalero

I had the chance to watch this movie in La Paz, Bolivia and I loved it. It is an amazing real story that I recommend to anyone who is interested in social movements and/or Latin America. I do not really like the title of the movie, but I guess is to call the attention of the people. However the documentary is a good quality piece, well organized, with very exciting moments. I have heard it got great reception in the Sundance Festival and Miami. Also in LatinAmerica makes the people applause many scenes. I personally had to clap a couple of times in some of the remarks of Evo Morales. It has many funny and curious moments of these historical moments. It is important to notice that Evo is the first indigenous President of Bolivia in its history. I congratulate the director and the crew for the movie. And of course the Bolivian people for it. No matter if you like Evo Morales or not, this is a great show.

Anyone who likes to contemplate and collect SPECIAL moments may want to hastily add COCALERO to their DVD collection. It is a special, simple,moving film. When it starts it is just a trickle... then it gets Flowing.... and before you know it you are trapped in this Human River of hope, strength and (long suppressed) pride which leaves you (or at least ME) wet -cheeked. An AMAZING feat by both EVO MORALES, Bolivia's First Indigenous President, and by the unobtrusive but ever-present Fly-on-the-Wall Director of this poetic-political Jewel. A film to re-kindle the hopes of even the most cynical. (p.s. It is also a point in favour of the director of this documentary that in no precise moment do we feel the , all to often present, hand of the demagogue. No 'preaching' irritates the viewer. We are simply voyeurs of the basics of political mechanics, and we are left to contemplate that if THIS is what the strangely naive Bolivian Indios use as political tools to insinuate themselves in the apparently Air-Tight chambers of Econo-Politics IMAGINE what the highly-funded machinery of G8 countries employs. Best Scene? There are many. I marveled at Morales' "in your face" approach to The Military's preoccupations with their future role in the political chess-board (should Evo win, that is). Comic and Eerie at the same time!

This documentary reflects a minimal part of the social chaos Bolivia is going through nowadays; however, it is an excellent sample of the tornado in which Bolivia is submerged socially and politically. Alejandro Landes has rescued the essence of the typical Bolivian sentiment against foreigners (not only "yankees")trying to take advantage of the richness of the Bolivian land. This is a magnificent experience in which you witness the transfer of power to the forgotten class in the history of Bolivia. Consequences? Only time will tell. To Bolivians, Cinderella was born...to foreigners, perhaps a nightmare. Reality is, Evo will hardly let power go from his hands with the support of the "ever oppressed" "never understood" people of Bolivia, as well as the malignant influence of Castro and Chavez. My congratulations to Mr. Landes and his entire crew for such an historical piece of the Bolivian reality.