Mexican filmmakers Sebastian and Costa, shooting a film in Bolivia about Christopher Columbus and the conquest, become embroiled in controversy when their film schedule runs up against the Cochabamba water protests. As the production is beset by more and more problems, tension rises among the crew.
The filming of a historical drama about Christopher Columbus presents disturbing parallels with present-day unrest in Bolivia, revealing the many shapes neocolonialism can take. Starring Gael García Bernal, Icíar Bollaín’s metacinematic political fable cleverly nods to the work of Herzog & Loach.