LOS VIAJES DEL VIENTO

Colombia/Germany/Holland, 2009, 117 minutes, Colour.
Marciano Martinez, Yull Nunez.
Directed by Ciro Guerra.

Los Viajes Del Viento (The Wind’s Journeys) is a portrait of Colombia in the 1960s. The film is a journey, an accordion player who has wandered the country playing successfully, and a young man who may be his son following him.

The couple look like a Colombian Don Quixote and Sancho Panza and the journey proceeds with the accordion player rather haughty in his style and manner and the young man as his servant. However, as the journey and the quest continue, the roles are somewhat reversed.

The director says that the film is a portrait of the country that even Colombians may not be aware of. It ranges over a wide range of terrains, fields and deserts, salt mines as well as cornfields, pasture and ordinary mountains and very high snow-clad mountains. The scenery itself is often breathtaking.

The music is also important, the playing of the accordion, the playing of drums. There is also a large range of music, a competition of duelling accordions as well as a proper village competition.

The accordion player is something of an enigmatic figure but is determined to return the accordion to his teacher and master. When it is partially destroyed during the journey, he goes to the high mountains to meet his brother who fixes the instrument. All the time, the young man is looking and learning – and, at one stage, watches a group of initiates with their master learning to play the drums and then undergoing a ritual of baptism with lizard’s blood. He then achieves this baptism with successful playing – despite being put down by the accordion player.

The film and the journey are long and meandering sometimes, but, ultimately, it is an interesting journey, a portrait of two people and the landscapes for their quest.

1.A picture of Colombia, the 1960s, the back roads and the backblocks? Beauty, austerity? The people, the Indians?

2.A portrait of the company, in the times? The film acknowledging the changes from the perspective of the 21st century?

3.The title, Ignacio Carillo and Fermin and their quest, travelling with the winds?

4.The landscapes and their effect, the variety, the plains, the desert, the river and lagoons, the crops, the pastures, the mountains, the towns, the high mountains and snow and ice, the salt mines? The impact of the visuals? The score?

5.The accordion music, the range of songs, the playing of drums?

6.Ignacio and the opening, Ash Wednesday, whether he received the ashes or not? Repentance or not? The need for redemption? Riding his donkey out of the town, the severity of his appearance, his hat, the widow watching him, urging her son to follow him?

7.Fermin, his age, following Ignacio? The arrival of the jeep and the request to play for the mayor, Ignacio’s refusal? The information about the accordion, about Master Guerra? Returning the accordion to him? Fermin and his story? Ignacio and his wanderings, relationships, children? Was he Fermin’s father? Fermin wanting him to teach, his declaration that Fermin did not have the talent?

8.The travels, the donkey, Fermin following on foot, the Don Quixote and Sancho Panza image? Hearing the cowhands, their playing, his refusal to play for them, yet their giving the food? The travel, the lagoon, the donkey on the canoe?

9.The information about the competition, the duelling accordions, the Feast of Our Lady and the celebration? The previous year’s winner, his pride, playing, the competitors and their failing, the response of the crowd? The accordion player’s father? Ignacio, his playing, his lyrics, his winning? The crowd supporting him? The player and his loss, his upset, weeping, his father, his father’s anger and destroying the accordion with the machete?

10.The journey and the broken accordion, going into the mountains, Ignacio seeking out his brother, his brother’s reclusive life, on land not owned by the banks, his ability to fix the instrument? Talking with Fermin, talking with his brother, the memories? Their family?

11.The competition in the town, Ignacio entering? Seeing the woman and her son? Fermin playing the drums after the offended man walked out? The passion of the song, the reference to the child, the toys, the woman and child watching – audiences assuming that it was his child? The audience silent and no applause? No winnings?

12.Fermin and his being hurt, insulted and put down by Ignacio? Ignacio going on by himself, his being robbed? Fermin and the landlady, offering to work, the food, the group arriving for the celebration? The different language? The chief? The various auditions for the players and their failure? Fermin returning, offering to play? His wanting the accordion, the big man and the offer for the fight, the punch, Fermin being knocked out? The chief admiring him and giving him the accordion?

13.Fermin finding Ignacio, carrying him on the donkey, to the Indians in the mountains, the healing ceremony?

14.The continued travels, collapsing in the desert, the men and woman working in the salt mines, their helping?

15.Arriving at Guerra’s house, deserted? Finding the wife, the number of children, Guerra dead, his message for Ignacio, Ignacio playing? His sense of responsibility for the wife and children?

16.Fermin, his return home during the credits? His future?

17.Portrait of peoples, way of life, the past, what continues? Religion, cultural traditions, Indians? Campesinos? The role of music?