Educational Media Reviews Online

Intiaanikapina, or Indian Revolt highlights the perils associated with reporting on volatile political situations in Latin America – everything has already changed. This short documentary, shot in 2004, looks at the indigenous communities’ growing political power, as they hold regular demonstrations on a variety of issues – the nationalization of natural gas resources, an end to the war against coca farmers, and better distribution of Bolivia’s wealth. This moment marks a second show of political force for the indigenous population of Bolivia, particularly the Ayamara, in the shadow of the October 2003 riots that resulted in the overthrow of the President and saw 70 people killed. The film also touches on attempts by various groups on both ends of the spectrum to garner further autonomy – the Northern Ayamara led by Felipe Quispe, and the mestizo businessmen of Santa Cruz.

Interviews are conducted with miners, cocaleros (coca leaf growers), soldiers and protesters, as well as with a prominent Bolivian sociologist, with “the most dangerous man in Bolivia” Felipe Quispe, and with future president Evo Morales. While the sociologist’s dire warnings of civil war or foreign intervention are already out-of-date, the documentary is still of interest to those studying the rise of indigenous political movements in Latin America in the past decade, as well as those interested in the effects of the US “war on drugs” at the micro level.

In Spanish, Ayamara, and Finnish with English subtitles and voice-over. Recommended.