How Long Is “Blak Mama”?

Filmmaker Miguel Alvear offers a surreal variation on the cultural traditions of his native Ecuador in this visually inventive drama. In the city of Latacunga, an annual festival is held in tribute to "Blak Mama." The massive street party combines iconography of the Catholic Church, African traditions and local legend into celebration of spiritual salvation and earthly satisfaction. Amidst the joyous but chaotic backdrop of the Blak Mama Festival, three locals who make a life out of picking through the discards of others search for a passway into forgiveness that will take away their troubles. Blak Mama features dance numbers, songs and animated sequences along with footage of the street celebration as the film follows the quest of the three seekers. Blak Mama was an official selection at the 2009 American Film Institute Latin American Film Festival.