Our Land

Northern Argentina, 2009. The province of Tucumán is a fertile agricultural region that has traditionally been inhabited by the Chuschagasta community. Yet, entrepreneur Dario Amín claims to be the owner of the land. When he hands an eviction order to 300 Chuschagasta people together with two accomplices, a confrontation arises that ends with the murder of the 68-year-old community leader Javier Chocobar. Even though the crime is captured on video, it still takes nine years full of protests before the culprits appear in court. For Voor Amín and his accomplices, the dispute over the area is a purely business matter, but for the Chuschagasta community, their roots, their identity, and their survival are also at stake. Specifically for Cinema ZED Leuven De, the screening on Wednesday 8/7 is presented by DOCVILLE. The documentary will be introduced by Festival Directeur Frank Moens and Nadia Lie (KU Leuven), professor of Latin American film and literature (and a few years ago, the promoter of director Lucrecia Martel for her honorary doctorate at KU Leuven!). Commentaar De Argentijnse filmmaker Lucrecia Martel, who received an honorary doctorate at KU Leuven three years ago for her contribution to Latin American cinema, worked for 14 years on her first non-fiction work. She tells the tragic, true story from various sides: the murder trial against the three men, the life of Chocobar and his fellow Chuschagasta, and the centuries-old, colonial legacy of exploitation, land, and property theft throughout Latin America. An important and uncompromising crime documentary that also provides a deeply sensory cinema experience. Press "A hypnotic, empathetic film experience and a powerful plea for justice." - Filmfest Gent "An urgent film with a bleeding heart that deserves to be seen by everyone around the world. Martel has made an essential work." - The Film Stage