简介："TheBolivianfictionfeatureYawarMallkuisoneofthemostfamousexamplesofLatinAmericanmilitantcinema.LikemostoftheseAmericanmilitantfilms,thisonewasmadeonamodestbudgetinspiteofmajorobstacles.Boliviahasnosignificantfilmmakingtraditionsorfacilities.MuleshadtobeusedtotransportthefilmmakersandtheirequipmenttoahighandremoteIndiancommunitywherepartsofthefilmwereshot.TheQuechua-speakingIndiansofthisAndeancommunitywereinitiallyhostiletothefilmmakersuntilacoca-leafdivinationritualconfirmedthefilmmakers'goodintentions. "ItisinculturalandideologicaltermsthatYawarMallkuismostimportant.ThiscontroversialfilmisapowerfulandthoroughattackonUnitedStatesimperialism.Inthefilm,membersofaProgressCorps(readPeaceCorps)working,ironically,inanobstetricclinic,surgicallysterilizeunsuspectingIndianwomen.JorgeSanjinés,awareofBolivia'shistoricunderpopulationandhighinfantmortalityrate,hadbeendeeplydisturbedbymediareportsthattheU.S.PeaceCorpsoperatedinsuchafashioninhiscountry.ThoughU.S.officialsdeniedsuchactivities,thefilmcreatedafuroreand,intheopinionofSanjinés,wasamajorfactorintheexpulsionofthePeaceCorpsfromBoliviain1971. "InYawarMallku,U.S.imperialismisnotdepictedsolelyasanattempttobiologicallyeliminatean"inferior"race,butalsoasamoresubtleyetall-pervasiveforce.Thethemeofculturalimperialismisamplyillustrated:therockmusicplayedintheclinic(incontrasttotheindigenousflutemusic),theAmerican-styleclothesdonatedtotheIndians(incontrasttothetraditional,hand-wovengarb),thepin-upsinthehouseoftheIndianwhohasmigratedtoLaPaz.Linguisticimperialismisexemplifiedinasequenceinwhichanupper-classBolivianmotheraddressesherchildreninEnglish,alanguagecommonlyusedbytheupperclassesbutgenerallynotavailableforstudybytheIndians.SanjinésemphasizesthetiesofBolivia'srulingclassestoU.S.imperialisminabanquetsequencewhereleadingBoliviandoctorsandtheirU.S.counterpartsfailtosupplythebloodthatawoundedIndianneedstosurvive.ForSanjinés,U.S.imperialismisliterallyandfigurativelyrobbingBolivianIndiansoftheirblood—theirrighttolifeaccordingtotheirowntraditionsandcustoms."…