Wednesday, April 21, 2010 at 6:30 PM
Inter-American Development Bank Washington, DC
Film premiere
The IDB Cultural Center, in collaboration with FilmFest DC,
presents the DC premiere of a new feature film in
35mm from Colombia
Wind Journeys
Los viajes del viento
http://www.losviajesdelviento.net/
2009 Colombia/Germany/Netherlands/Argentina, 117 min
35mm, color, Spanish with English subtitles.
Not recommended for minors: nudity, violence.
Directed by Ciro Guerra, The Wind Journeys was filmed in eighty locations in northern Colombia. The film is
spoken in Spanish, Palenquero, Wayuunaiki, and Ikun.
Synopsis: Ignacio Carrillo (vallenato singer Marciano Martínez) travelled all his life throughout the villages and
regions of northern Colombia, playing music, and traditional vallenato songs on his accordion, a legendary
instrument that is said to be cursed, because it once belonged to the devil. As he became older, he got
married and settled with his wife in a small town, leaving his nomadic life behind. When she suddenly dies, he
decides to make one last journey to the northern edge of the country, to return the accordion to the man who
gave it to him, his teacher and mentor, so he will never play it again.
On the way, he is joined by Fermín, a teenager who dreams of becoming a “juglar” like Ignacio, and to travel all
around playing the accordion like he did. Tired of his loneliness, Ignacio agrees to be accompanied, and
together they start the journey from Majagual, Sucre, to Taroa, beyond the Guajira desert, finding on the way
the enormous diversity of the Caribbean culture and surviving all kinds of adventures.
Ignacio will try to convince Fermín to take a different path in his life, having
learned that his path only led to solitude and sadness, but he will have to face
the fact that destiny has different plans for him and his pupil. During their
journey, Carrillo participates in the first version of the Vallenato Legend Festival
in Valledupar.
Awards: 2009 Bogota Film Festival Best Director and Best Colombian Film; 2009 Cannes Film
Festival Award of the City of Rome to Ciro Guerra; 2010 Cartagena Film Festival Best Colombian
Film; 2010 Santa Barbara International Film Festival Best Spanish Language Film; Colombia's
official submission to 82nd Academy Award's Foreign Language in 2010.
This event is free, open to the public and held at the IDB’s Enrique V. Iglesias Auditorium, 1330 New York
Avenue NW, Washington, DC, one block from Metro Center, 13th Street exit. Photo ID required. Attire is
business casual. Seating is unreserved general admission, 380 seats. 202.623.3558 www.iadb.org/cultural