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CHASQUI Peruvian Mail
Year 8, Number 16 Cultural Bulletin of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs October, 2010
La Muralla Verde [The Green Wall]. 1970.
THE FILMS OF ARMANDO ROBLES GODOY/ A PANORAMA OF PERUVIAN CIMENA/
CÉSAR CALVO: PASSION AND THE WRITTEN WORD / CHICHA, A HERITAGE BEVERAGE/
JORGE CHAVEZ, THE CONQUEST OF THE ALPS
Homage
The impossible films of Armando Robles Godoy
Andrés Mego*
The case of Armando Robles Godoy is an exceptional one in the agitated panorama of Peruvian filmmaking.
Cultural promoter, writer, and adventurer Robles Godoy films exclusively to explore
his own artistic preoccupations.
F
ew on the Peruvian cultural
Photo: Archive, Caretas Magazine.
scene are familiar with the
films of our most legendary
director: Armando Robles Godoy,
who is to this day consulted when
some new cultural policy is unveiled,
or when changes to laws supporting
the seventh art are proposed- laws
which were applied in the past due in
large part to Robles’ initiative. Many
of the filmmakers currently involved
in the art were students of Robles
Godoy in one or another of the many
workshops he taught. It was in these
workshops that they learned to work
with the “mysterious language,” Ro-
bles’ term for cinematic expression.
Unfortunately, until fairly recently
it was virtually impossible to see
his films, with sporadic screenings
confined to specialty theaters and
the like.
At eighty-seven years of age, having
given up on undertaking another
cinematographic project, Robles
Godoy continues to work on his first
artistic discipline: literature, which
he had never left aside, and from
which his best films have been crea- Armando Robles Godoy (New York, 1923 - Lima, 2010).
ted. “I have an amount of material
that even Balzac would be ashamed
of,” he said on one occasion. While mediocrity emanating from the and triumphantly as the winners of the main plot was the journey of a
young critics reclaim his films (or, Odría dictatorship’s home base in literary awards. He started to make young upper class man who, in order
rather, cinematic criticism is reclai- Lima, Robles Godoy commenced an a name for himself as a writer, and to recieve an inheritance, had to
med) and proclaim La muralla verde adventurous chapter of his life as a his estrangement from Lima became spend two years travelling the width
[The Green Wall] to be the greatest settler in the Amazon jungle along an obstacle. A few years later, he and breadth of Peru, learning how
film in the history of Peruvian film- the Huallaga River. According to the was appointed director of the enter- Peruvians earned a living. Robles
making, Robles Godoy can do no director himself, both events were tainment section of La Prensa, and Godoy does not seem too worried
more than laugh and reply, “But Pe- experiences which finally acquired reserved all film reviews for himself. about the loss of the film, but it must
ruvian filmmaking means nothing!” real meaning when transformed into At that time, in the early 1960’s, have been a magnificent learning ex-
Within this insignificance, the films literary, and later, cinematographic there was no Peruvian cinema as perience, in which he was even able
of Robles Godoy are the closest Pe- inspiration; but he had no way to such. The government had created to deepen his understanding during
ruvian cinema has come to “cinema know this at the time. the Filmadora Peruana S. A. corpo- post-production in Buenos Aires.
d’auteur,” films that pursue no goal Robles Godoy is indeed the Peruvian ration, which in practice only produ-
beyond that of expressing the artistic filmmaker who has won the most ced light melodramas in cooperation The Amazon and the Mysterious
concerns of their director, regardless literary awards, and vice-versa. with Mexican filmmakers, backed up Language
of what anyone else thinks. During the eight years he spent in by the star system in both countries. Having learned technical skills ob-
the Amazon with his wife and her In this context, a friend from abroad tained in shooting Ganarás el pan.
The writer who learned to make brother’s family, he divided his time asked Robles Godoy to spearhead the Robles Godoy began to develop
films between toiling away at agricultural filming of a documentary on labor in his own manner of self expression
Robles Godoy repeats, at times, To tasks on his plot of farmland and Peru. Despite his purely theoretical using cinematographic language.
remember is to discover what really writing. He wrote the short story knowledge of filmmaking, Robles He soon discovered that the written
happened.” During his childhood, and novel that would later become Godoy left La Prensa to embark on word –particularly a text with a high
which he spent in New York, he his best films, En la selva no hay this new adventure. Not a single esthetic value—was an obstacle or a
discovered cinema at his father—the estrellas [There are No Stars in the surviving copy of Ganarás el pan limiting factor compared to the im-
composer Daniel Alomía Robles’— Jungle] and La muralla verde, res- [You shall earn your bread] (1964), measurable expressive power of film.
side, the latter often translating pectively. He also sent articles to be has been found, but it is known that The language of filmmaking, accor-
the dialogue for him. Years later, published in La Prensa newspaper, it had a certain amount of success at ding to Robles Godoy, is more akin
tired of the authoritarianism and and texts that returned instantly the box office and that the thread of to music than to literature. Rather,
CHASQUI 2
Robles feels that film is the articula- of visual metaphors, and made with
Photo: Archive Conacine.
tion of elements, the decodification a masterful handling of the resources
of which does not correspond to of expression native to cinema.
previously established meanings, as From this moment on, the diffi-
happens in verbal language. The rea- culty in finding financing for new
ding of a film is not conclusive, but films, particularly those without
rather highly subjective, and escapes commercial possibilities, forced
even the intentions of its authors. Robles Godoy to take a long break
This fascination with this “mystery” from filmmaking. It took until 1987
is present throughout his work, for him to be able to undertake
which is why his critics consider him another full-length film, filmed on
to be “modern,” pointing to ambi- 16 millimeter film, as the result of a
tions similar to those that pursued workshop he taught at the University
Antonioni or Resnais in European of Lima. Sonata soledad [Soledad
film, and also the reason for which Sonata] is more hermetic than his
audiences never connected with his previous films (or more open, if you
films, finding them too distant from will, since its meaning is less precise
On location for the filming of En la selva no hay estrellas (1967), which won second prize
Hollywood’s narrative style. at the Vth Moscow film festival. than his earlier works), made up of
Robles’ next film, En la selva no hay three parts, or movements, which
estrellas (1966), was lost for thirty- propose a specific interaction with
Photo: Archive, Caretas Magazine.
nine years. Luckily, after years of the music. Though the first of the
fruitless searching, Robles Godoy fragments has an underlying personal
finally located a copy of the film in element, and Robles Godoy himself
2005 in Moscow, where it had been appears on screen, as a whole it pro-
shown on television at some point. jects itself as a calculated exercise in
It was then brought back for a brief experimentation, distant, and even
screening at the Cinematógrafo de self-indulgent. .
Barranco theater. Several years later, Robles directed
The idea behind En la selva no hay the first full-length Peruvian film
estrellas was based on a rumor that its shot on digital video: Imposible amor
director heard during his stay in the [Impossible Love] (2000) which is
Amazon. A man goes deep into the also his last work. He again proposes
jungle in search of an old lady who parallel stories based on the impos-
has spent years hoarding the gold sibility of loving. Unfortunately, the
that the members of an indigenous film was screened for a very short
community she befriended extracts time, and was harshly criticized as
from the river. Once he has stolen being poor in terms of technical
the gold, and stolen his ingenious quality.
guide, the man tries to return home, That his last films have been met
at which point the fragments of his La muralla verde (1970). with incomprehension is without
past are interspersed. We see him as importance, and is even to be ex-
a hit man in the Andes, and a ma- pected, given that Robles Godoy
nipulative lover in Lima. His goal is at international film festivals as no also presents Peru as a nation split is a director who has become more
to get rich at any cost and move up Peruvian film ever had before. La in two, between two irreconcilable irreverent with each passing year. He
in society, an ambition that led to muralla verde furthered its director’s geographic spaces. has always resisted creating fleeting,
this journey. ambitions to create a film unconven- Though criticized as excessively easily digested art, art created only
The sound treatment in this film is tional in form, and at the same time stylized, La muralla verde is one of to distract the public, and he has
also based on real-life experience. transmitted a personal experience, the most original works in Peruvian achieved this goal. Robles Godoy
The director was once lost in the since it was inspired by his years as cinema and the last its director based was not content only to obey his
jungle, and “I did the only thing I a settler in the Amazon. Though a mainly on personal experience. own artistic authenticity, but instead
could do: I walked further in search fragmented narrative, with constant struggled to achieve the cultural
of running water; as little as there flashbacks, Mario, his wife, and son Last Words development of Peru.
might be, it would have to take me to take advantage of a government Robles then made Espejismo [Mirage] Armando Robles Godoy passed
the river, which, as I knew, couldn’t program promoting settlement in (1973), the director’s favorite film, away on August 10th, 2010. His
be too far away. I walked for hours, the Amazon. Mario is forced to and that which enjoyed the largest innovative and non-conformist
sharpening my ears as I had never struggle against layer upon layer of production budget. Even more un- spirit remains with us in his films,
done before. And, as is natural, the bureaucracy in order to be granted a conventional than La muralla verde, writings, and teachings, a legacy for
jungle filled with sounds in a way plot of virgin land; but is fed up with Espejismo presents, jumping back and generations to come. It is our wish
that I had never experienced. The his grey life in the capital and tries to forth in time and in parallel with to honor his memory through this
aural dimension was as solid as the start anew in an opposite word, in a other characters, the story of a child note, and to reaffirm that his oeuvre
trees around me, as rich and varied space in which he can feel rooted in born into a landowning family in Ica, will live on.
as the visible realm.” This sensation nature through his work. The cen- the victim of his family’s feudal past.
is brought to life on film through the tral theme of the work is this effort, Years earlier, the vineyard’s owner
use of a soundtrack that haunts the man’s struggle to tame nature. discovered his wife was having an * Journalist and Communications expert,
protagonist in his travels. La muralla verde is marked by oppo- affair with the foreman, and punishes holds a Master’s degree in Cultural Studies
from the Universidad Nacional Mayor de
sing pools which reveal themselves the latter by abandoning him in the San Marcos (UNMSM). He writes articles
A divided nation in detailed plans and evocative middle of the desert, with no way on film criticism and history in Godard! and
La muralla verde is now considered to editing. We go from repression to for him to get his bearings. The boy Dedomedio magazines. He has taught film
appretiation classes and ran the Film Club at
be his best executed work. Though liberation, from darkness to light, slowly understands his parentage and the UNMSM’s cultural center. Since 2006,
at the time it was poorly received and from life to sudden death. In destiny through this story. The film is he has been the executive edit of of a blog
by local critics; it enjoyed success a greater sense, La muralla verde one with a demanding narrative, full called “La Tetona de Fellini”.
CHASQUI 3
AN OVERVIEW OF CONTEMPORARY PERUVIAN CINEMA
Ricardo Bedoya*
Until recently, it would have been a difficult task to indeed come up with an overview of Peruvian cinema,
ue to the difficulties involved in the production and exhibition of most of the movies produced in the country.
this task is now by a different factor entirely hampered: the diversity of film production.
I
n the last two years, Peruvian films a Conacine prize for post-production.
have been present at some of the most Results for the two films at the box offi-
important international film festivals: ce were also quite contrasting: La teta
La teta asustada [“The Milk of Sorrow”], asustada attracted close to 250 thousand
by Claudia Llosa, won the Golden Bear viewers, while Illary was only shown at
at the Berlin Film Festival in 2009, in major theaters for a week.
addition to being nominated for Best Fo- This heterogeneity is also found between
reign Film in the Hollywood Academy’s feature length films made by young
Oscar ceremony; that same year, Paraíso filmmakers who have graduated from
[released worldwide as “Paraíso”, paradise university Communications departments
in Spanish], participated in the Horizons and similar institutes. The link between
category of the Venice Film Festival, and, these films is that they were made
in 2010, Octubre [released as “Octubre, without the resources contributed by
Miracles Come True in October”], by international production funding, and
Daniel and Diego Vega, won the Jury’s were not awarded prizes by del Conacine,
Choice Award for the “Un Certain Re- the official body charged with administe-
gard” category at the Cannes Flim festi- ring Peruvian film legislation. This is the
val. In turn, Contracorriente [Undertow], case of films such as 1, 2 y 3, by Eduardo
by Javier Fuentes, was shown at a number Quispe Alarcón; Detrás del mar, by Raúl
of film festivals around the world prior to del Busto Maldonado; Los actores, by
Claudia Llosa recieving the Golden Bear, the highest award offered at the Berlin Interna-
its commercial release in Peru, and won a Trujillo-based Omar Forero; Encierro,
tional Film Festival (2009).
plethora of prizes and mentions. Except in by Fernando Montenegro and Alienados
the case of Claudia Llosa, each of these The second type of full-length films can told—which are shown in commercial and Kasa Okupada, by Rafael Arévalo.
films were the first feature-length film be characterized as “alternative” films, theaters with multimedia projectors, These films are exercises in style, betting
directed by their respective filmmakers, shot digitally, integrating elements of “ci- and may have been made in Lima or on narrative forms and treatment out-
which is indicative of the emergence of a nema d’auteur”, and are made by young the provinces (Flor de retama, Juanito el side the canon of traditional narrative,
generation of promising filmmakers who urban filmmakers from Lima or regional huerfanito, Vedettes al desnudo and a few nurtured by the influence of classic and
are aware of the importance of being capitals, and are shown only in cultural others). contemporary directors, ranging from
connected to international production spaces, which is the case for films such as It should not be believed that there is Robert Bresson to Aki Kaurismaki, but
and distribution circuits in cinema today. Los actores [The Actors], by Omar Forero, homogeny within the film types. Dividing also by the new films coming from the
These prizes, however, cannot lead us o Detrás del mar [Behind the Ocean] by these films intro groups does not make La Plata Region [Argentina and Uru-
to believe that Peru is currently living Raúl del Busto. them level with one another, nor does guay], including Pizza, birra y faso and
a boom in filmmaking. There is no film The third type, which includes most of the it make them similar in nature. La teta 25 Watts, in addition to the intense ob-
industry in Peru to speak of, and behind films made in Peru, is made up of feature- asustada, for example, has characteristics servation of the films of Lucrecia Martel
each film made in the country, there is a length films shot digitally throughout quite different from—if not, in fact, op- and Lisandro Alonso. Films with young
specific story, and each also possesses its the country, but especially in the Andes posed to—those of Illary, by Nilo Pereira characters who, depending on the film,
own unique production method. Mountains, and has its own systems of del Mar, despite the fact that both were are characterized by de-dramatization,
distribution and exhibition, largely in shown at multiplex theaters. Claudia contemplation, the observation of mini-
A Tentative typology geographical areas close to where the Llosa’s film was a Spanish-Peruvian co- mal behaviors, and the recording of spon-
The current panorama is multiple in films were made. The average level of production, with a budget well over one taneous dialouge or allusion to science
scope and made up of titles varying polish acheived by these regional films million dollars and received the support fiction, as exemplified by the films of
widely in terms of production level, na- has increased greately when compared of international funding and benefited Rafael Arévalo. These films create their
rrative forms, expressive ambitions, and to the previous decade. from Spanish film promotion laws, as own exhibition circuit in cultural center
distribution methods used to reach their This typology is, of course, tentative, well as a prize from the Consejo Nacional auditoriums and universities.
audiences. There are also abysmal diffe- and perhaps even precarious, as there de Cinematografía (Conacine). Illary, in An intense and fruitful diversity charac-
rences in terms of quality. The existence are a number of exceptions. There are contrast, was produced by its own direc- terizes the domain of regional filmmaking.
of up to three types of feature-length films digitally recorded films—few, truth be tor, filmed on a very low budget, and won In the past decade, over a hundred featu-
could be argued. re length films were made in Ayacucho,
The first type is made up of films whose Puno, Cajamarca, Junín, Loreto, La
commercial debut takes place at multi- COOPERATION BETWEEN Libertad, and a number of other regions.
plex theater chains in Lima and a few THE MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND CONACINE This phenomenon is unparalleled in the
other cities around the country. These history of Peruvian cinema. The only fil-
films are projected on film even when mmaking activity to take place outside of
Through the founding of the National Council for Cinematography (Conaci-
they were recorded digitally, which Lima was in the 1930’s, in which Antonio
ne). The contribution of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to the comprehensive
allows their screening at these theaters. Wong Rengifo made a number of films in
development of Peruvian cinema has taken on a significant level of importance.
This is the case of Madeinusa and La teta the city of Iquitos, and in the mid-1950’s,
Ibermedia supports audio-visual production, promotes the integration of Ibero-
asustada, by Claudia Llosa; Un cuerpo in which a number of documentary films
American audio-visual companies into supranational networks, increases the
desnudo [A Naked Body], by Francisco were made by what has become as the
distribution and promotion of Ibero-American films, and fosters the education
Lombardi; both installments of Mañana te Cuzco school of filmmaking, in the city
and exchange of audio-visual industry experts. Every single one of these benefits
cuento [Released worldwide as “Mañana of the same name.
is the direct consequence of the annual contribution the Ministry of Foreign
te cuento”], by Eduardo Mendoza; El Regional films are recorded digitally
delfín [The Dolphin], an animated film
Affairs makes to the Ibermedia Fund. The links between Conacine and the
and have no ambition to be screened
by Eduardo Schuldt; Días de Santiago Ministry of Foreign Affairs go yet further still: in 2006, an inter-institutional at multiplex cinemas. They are shown
[Days of Santiago] and Dioses [Released cooperation agreement to promote Peruvian cinema abroad. The agreement in their regions of origin and in nearby
worldwide as “Dioses”], by Josué Méndez; establishes that— in accordance with the Overseas Cultural Policy— the localities, in which their producers rent
Cu4tro, by Frank Pérez Garland, Sergio Ministry of Foreign Affairs promotes the participation of domestic films and old, abandoned movie theaters, parish
Barrio, Christian Buckley and Bruno videos in international festivals, as well as their screening abroad. Likewise, multipurpose rooms, municipal venues,
Ascenzo; El premio [The Prize], by Al- through diplomatic and consular missions abroad, it organizes showings and or event halls in which they then install
berto Durant; Tarata, by Fabrizio Aguilar; screenings of fictional and documentary films and videos about Peru. Further, a multimedia projector and invite the
Illary, by Nilo Pereira del Mar; Paraíso, by it promotes the creation of videos and films by foreign producers on subjects local population. These films are also
Héctor Gálvez, and a number of other and scenarios relating to Peru. distributed through an informal market
films made over the last few years. Six Rosa María Oliart of “pirated” copies, or shown on inter-
full-length Peruvian films debuted at President of CONACINE provincial bus journeys. This type of
multiplex cinemas in 2009. production brings to mind the filmmaking
CHASQUI 4
experience in countries such as Nigeria, to their intrinsic qualities. It has been
Photo: Archive, Caretas Magazine.
Ghana and Pakistan. the result, rather, of the application of
These regional films belong to a number “visibility” strategies at international film
of genres, such as melodrama, with a festivals and screenings. The films having
noted influence from films made in Bom- found success in these forums arrived
bay, or complaints regarding social and aligned to the zeitgeist, trying to explore
environmental issues, but the quotient methods of representation which charac-
of horror films is prolific, and has been terize the face of current cinema. That
the most successful or popular genre of is, their directors are harmonized to the
regional filmmaking. Horrific tales from “scriptures” of current films, but also with
oral Quechua storytelling traditions and new forms of image distribution. Educa-
macabre legends from certain areas of tion which would allow the formation of
the Andes are recreated in these films. technical capacity (screenwriters, pho-
Jarjacha, el demonio del incesto [Jarjacha, tographers, editors, sound technicians,
the Demon of Incest] (2002), directed lighting technicians, and other technical
by Ayacucho resident Mélinton Eusebio; skills) is also needed, since filmmaking
Incesto en los Andes: la maldición de los jar- is a collective art. This is even more
jachas [Incest in the Andes: The Curse of necessary since the technologies being
the Jarjachas] (2002) and La maldición de used are replaced at high speed. High
los jarjachas 2 [The Curse of the Jarachas definition digital cameras are perfected on
2](2003), by Palito Ortega Matute, in an ongoing basis, and require specialists
addition to many other films, illustrate who are able to operate them and take
the Andean belief in a monstrous being, full advantage of their capabilities. But
a fusion of man and llama, caused by the not only the tools of production are un-
committing of incest. In turn, El Misterio dergoing rapid change. Methods of mass
del Kharisiri [The Mystery of the Kharisiri] distribution of images and sounds are also
(2003), by Puna based filmmaker Henry changing. Films are no longer confined to
Vallejo, recreates regional legends of the big screens of movie theaters. There
characters who harrass their victims and are films in different formats, mediums,
then ritually sacrifice them. and durations, designed for consumption
Legendary characters such as the Pishtaco on a number of different screens, ranging
[A Caucasian man who roams the Andes from cellular phones to the IPod. This
looking for indigenous people to kill, and entails the creation of new viewers and
then boils them down to extract their fat the expansion of auditoriums. The fields
for sale on the commercial market] and of feature-length and short films are an
Francisco Lombardi (Tacna, 1949).
the Jarjacha [see above] revive ancestral open horizon for Peruvian cinema.
fears and expose latent violence. Threa- Short films are a central aspect of any
Photo: Archive, Caretas Magazine.
tening, and within view of Andean trails, film support policy. The promotion of
these films express traditional worldviews short films is always fruitful, as this is a
which have been altered as a consequence training ground for filmmakers. Though
of dynamics driven by the violence of the Peru’s film promotion policy specifies
recent past, with isolated rural areas of financial support for forty-eight notable
the Andes mountains, and by a fast-paced short films per year, this stipulation has
modernity which encompasses the influx not been complied with. Stable channels
of the informal economy. of distribution are required for short
Regional films tend to create bridges films, for which there is no guaranteed
between local audiences, the canon of market, since they are not the product
ancestral tales, and new technologies. of corporate efforts. Short films are the
Despite the imperfection of technical result of academic activities or the desire
polishing in these films, or perhaps be- to approach the profession of filmmaking.
cause of this very factor, and due to the The majority of short films are made by
appropriation of narrative structures from students at universities and institutes in
non-local sources, these films aim towards Lima and around the country. The value
difference and roughness, leaving behind created by the production of a short film is
the requirements and quality standards intangible because they are the proceeds
demanded by international cooperation of a formative process, regardless of the
funds and multiplex theaters. subject matter chosen by the director:
The surge in a current of documentary ci- fiction, documentary, or animation. The
nema must also be noted, and is progressi- task at hand is to create the conditions
vely consolidated into short, medium, and needed to distribute short films, above all
feature-length films, with titles such as La to ensure the ability of their directors to
espera de Ryowa, [Ryowa’s Wait] by Raúl create feature length films.
del Busto and Cyntia Inamine; De ollas y
sueños [Of Pots and Dreams], by Ernesto
*Mr. Bedoya is considered to be one of the
Cabellos; La travesía de Chumpi, by Fer-
most influential Peruvian film critics. He hosts
nando Valdivia; Requecho, by Humberto and directs the El placer de los ojos [Pleasure
Saco; Lucanamarca, by Carlos Cárdenas of the Eyes] program, on TVPerú. He is also
and Héctor Gálvez; Away, Ausencias y the film critic for the «Luces» section of El
Conversaciones II, by Marianela Vega. Josué Méndez (Lima, 1976). Comercio, a leading daily newspaper. He has
The experiences of the Independent published the following books: 100 años de
Peruvian Documentary Caravan (Docu resources which are quickly changing. As for which the best feature-length film and cine en el Perú. Una historia crítica [100 Years
Perú), headed by José Balado, which such, Peruvian cinema requires continui- short film projects are eligible. This law, of Cinema in Peru. A Critical History] (Lima,
Instituto de Cooperación Iberoamericana and
travels throughout the country giving ty. The small size of the film marketplace however, has not been applied as foreseen
Universidad de Lima, 1992 and 1995); Entre
workshops on documentary filmmaking perhaps rules out a feature-length film due to a lack of economic resources. Full fauces y colmillos [Between Jaws and Fangs]
and offering production services for films industry, as it is unable to guarantee a compliance with this legal tool would (Huesca Festival de Huesca, España, 1998);
made by workshop attendees, must be return on a large investment, but does allow Conacine to conduct the annual Ojos bien abiertos, el lenguaje de las imágenes en
taken into account. Of these films, only require continuous, varied, and multiple competitions stipulated in the law, with movimiento [Eyes Wide Open, the Language of
De ollas y sueños has been shown on the activities, capable of stimulating the exer- funding granted to six feature length Moving Images] (in collaboration with Isaac
commercial circuit. cises of different, and even conflicting, films and forty-eight shorter films each León Frías, Lima, Universidad de Lima, 2003);
styles, spaces for traditional and brand year. But even this would be insufficient. Breve encuentro [Brief Encounter](Huesca,
Festival de Huesca, España, 2005); El cine
Looking towards the future new elements in long films, but also in Incentivizing education is a task to be
silente en el Perú [Silent Movies in Peru] (Lima,
As has been seen, this is a panorama of the field of shorter films. carried out in parallel to the above. For Universidad de Lima, 2009), El cine sonoro en
films directed by young filmmakers. Their Since 1994, Law number 26370 has been example, providing training in produc- el Perú [Talkies in Peru] (Lima, Universidad
activities owe much to their own persis- in effect, in order to stimulate film pro- tion methods. The recent international de Lima, 2009). He is also a professor at the
tence and practice of techniques and duction through a system of cash prizes, success of Peruvian films is not due only Universidad de Lima.
CHASQUI 5
Cine peruano
1 3
A Timeline of Peruv
Claudio C
1897 The arrival of the Vitascope, patented by Thomas Alva Edison in 1896, allows
the first film screening in Peru, at the Jardín Estrasburgo (Plaza mayor de Lima).
1899 Projection of the first moving images recorded in Peru. These images are the
Cathedral of Lima, the road to La Oroya, and Chanchamayo.
1909 The Cinema Teatro, the first public space specifically designed for the screening
of films, is opened in Downtown Lima.
1913 The debut of the first two fictional Peruvian films: Negocio al agua [Business
in the Water] and Del manicomio al matrimonio [From the Madhouse to Ma-
rriage].
1926 The first case of censorship in Peruvian cinema takes place in the editing of
Páginas heroicas [Heroic Pages], a nationalist work imbibed with a strong anti-
Chilean sensibility.
1929 La Perricholi becomes the first Peruvian film shown abroad, and is screened at
the Exposición Iberoamericana in Seville.
1934 Seven years after their implementation in the United States, talking films reach
the Peruvian production circuit. The documentary Inca Cuzco and fiction film
Resaca [Hangover] are the pioneering films of this new era.
1937 Amauta Films, the most daring attempt to date to create a Peruvian film
industry, commences operations. This company found rousing success with
such films as La bailarina loca [The Crazy Dancer] (1937), Gallo de mi galpón
[Rooster from my Henhouse] (1938) and Palomillas del Rímac [Children of the
Rimac River] (1938).
1940 Barco sin rumbo [A Directionless Boat], the last film to be created by Amauta
2 Films arrives in cinema. From this point on, fewer feature-length films are
produced in Peru, and appear only sporadically.
1955 Cine Club Cuzco commences operations, around which a group of local docu-
mentary filmmakers begins to form. This group is later called the “Cuzco School”
by French historian Georges Sadoul. The short films of Manuel Chambi are
4
recognized at a number of international festivals for their faithful representation
of the world of the Andes.
1961 Kukuli, the first Peruvian feature-length fiction film in Quechua, is filmed.
For this reason alone, in addition to the esthetics of its color images, the film
is considered a milestone in Peruvian cinema. Kukuli was created through the
collaboration of no less than three directors: Eulogio Nishiyama, Luis Figueroa
and César Villanueva, all members of the Cuzco School.
1965 Hablemos de Cine [Let’s Talk About Film], magazine, in which future filmmakers
such as Francisco J. Lombardi, Augusto Tamayo and José Carlos Huayhuaca,
commences publication.
1965 The debut of Ganarás el pan, the first film by Armando Robles Godoy, the first
Peruvian director who conceives of his work as an artistic project. His next film,
En la selva no hay estrellas (1966), confirms his status as Peru’s first “cinema
d’auteur” filmmaker.
1970 Armando Robles Godoy completes La muralla verde, his most ambitious work
to date, considered by some critics to be the greatest Peruvian film of all time.
1972 The military junta headed by Juan Velasco Alvarado passes the Law For The
Creation of the Peruvian Cinematographic Industry law, better known as
CHASQUI 6ano: ayer y hoy
7
5 6
vian Cinema 1897-2010
Cordero*
Law Number 19327. This regulation made possible, until 1992, the sustained
production of sixty feature-length films and one-thousand two hundred short
films.
1977 The first films by directors Francisco J. Lombardi and Federico García appear,
Muerte al amanecer and Kuntur Wachana, respectively. Both films are inspired
by real life, but then take different paths: Lombardi seeks to identify with an
urban public, while García embraces the restrictive discourse of the indigenous
movement.
1978 The commercial success of Cuentos inmorales [Immoral Tales] creates a wave
of episodic films. Audiences tire of this format after Aventuras prohibidas [For-
bidden Adventures] (1980) and Una raya más al tigre [One More Stripe on
the Tiger] (1981).
1982 The Chaski cultural and filmmaking group releases the documentary “Miss
Universo en el Perú” (1982). This film marks the debut of a group that will
8
have a noted influence its era, with films such as Gregorio (1984) and Juliana
(1989), both of which were widely seen by filmgoing audiences.
1988 La boca del lobo [The Mouth of the Wolf], by Francisco J. Lombardi, becomes
one of the first films to present the horrors of the guerilla war between the
Peruvian Armed Forces and the Shining Path.
1992 The Alberto Fujimori government annuls Law 19327 as part of its economic
policy, entirely abandoning the incipient Peruvian film industry. A new statute
for filmmaking, Law 26370, is not passed until 1994.
1996 The new State policy for promoting film production enters into force. The
newly created Consejo Nacional de Cinematografía (Conacine) is responsible
for providing a foundation for the development of Peruvian cinema.
2004 Días de Santiago, by Josué Méndez, becomes the most awarded se opera prima
in the history of Peruvian cinema. Critics begin referring to a “New Peruvian
Cinema” which includes, in addition to Mendez, Claudia Llosa (Madeinusa,
2006), Gianfranco Quattrini (Chicha tu madre, 2006), Fabrizio Aguilar (Paloma
de papel, 2003) and Raúl del Busto (Detrás del mar, 2005).
2005 Festival de Cannes. Peru is invited to the «Tous les Cines du Munde» category.
The selection presented at Cannes includes Días de Santiago (2004), by Josué
Méndez; Bajo la piel (1998), Francisco J. Lombardi; El destino no tiene favoritos
(2003), Álvaro Velarde; and El caudillo pardo (2004), by Aldo Salvini. 9 10
2009 La teta asustada [The Milk of Sorrow], the second feature-length film created
by Claudia Llosa, wins the Golden Bear at the Berlin Film Festival, the highest
honor bestowed on a Peruvian film to date. 1.- Concession Stand, Jardín de Estrasburgo.
2010 Twelve months after its success in Berlin, La teta asustada is nominated for an 2.- Negocio al agua, produced by the Teatro film company, debut held on April 14th, 1913.
Oscar for Best Foreign Film, the first Peruvian film so nominated. 3.- The premiere of La Perricholi, at the Colón theater. Produced by Empresa Cinematográfica
Peruana, based on a story by Carlos Gabriel Saco.
4.- Filming of La bailarina loca, directed by Ricardo Villarán.
5.- Judith Figueroa in Kukuli (1961).
6.- Juliana (1989).
* Journalist and Film Critic. He is a professor at Universidad de San Martín de Porres and founding director 7.- Gustavo Bueno in La boca del lobo (1988). Peruvian-Spanish co-production. Photo: Filmoteca
of the Godard!, film criticisim magazine, in addition to holding the post of General Editor. He has worked de Lima (PUCP).
for such publications as La Primera and El Comercio daily newspapers, Caretas magazine, and the Chilean Film 8.- El caudillo pardo, documentary by Aldo Salvini.
Portal Mabuse, in addition to other publications abroad. Likewise, he has participated as a member of the 9.- Días de Santiago, the award-winning opera prima by Josué Méndez.
jury at international film festivals such as those held in Buenos Aires and Rio de Janhiero. 10.- La teta asustada (2009), with lead actress Magaly Solier.
CHASQUI 7CHICHA, A TRADITIONAL BEVERAGE
Chicha is a drink produced by the fermentation of a number of vegetable species, particularly germinated corn.
Variations on this beverage are found throughout the Western Hemisphere. It has traditionally played
a very important role in interpersonal relationships.
T
he role of chicha is crucial to The name chicha is originally from
Photo: Martín Chambi.
life in the Andes. It was the the Caribbean, the Quechua word for
drink made of corn, sacred this corn beverage being aqa. When
plant par excellence, which symbo- Pizarro conquered ancient Peru, the
lized the State and the wealth of an Spanish had already been in the New
agricultural society. Corn, prepared World for forty years and had ample
in both liquid and solid forms, was experience with the elements of
the foodstuff which represented civi- indigenous culture in the Americas.
lization, the triumph over starvation, They then adopted the first names
and the overcoming of the ancestral they found and used these terms
fear of running out of food. Corn had for similar products as they were
displaced potatoes into a subordinate encountered. Many Caribbean words
position, in a manner of speaking. travelled in this manner, for example
Anyone who ate potatoes was poor, cacique, became a generic term for all
the lack of anything other than tubers Indian chiefs, despite the fact that this
to eat was considered symbolic of a function was referred to as curaca in
lack of refinement. Only those who the Andes.
ate and drank grain were civilized and Due to the geographic distribution
lived at a different level, as superior of chicha use, in addition to its social
beings. It happens that untreated importance, the Europeans were una-
water has always had a bad reputation ble to eradicate chicha. Immediately
in the Andes, being associated with after the conquest, however, it lost
illnesses and all kinds of parasites. As its prestige. The alcoholic beverages
such, people in the Andes systema- instilled with prestige became wine
tically avoid drinking water. In this and distilled sugarcane liquor, while
way, according to the wise Santiago chicha was brushed aside and consi-
Antúnez de Mayolo (1981), the An- dered an “Indian Beverage”, represen-
dean settler never drank untreated tative of the culture which had been
water, but rather consumed water as a overthrown and dominated. Further,
component of prepared foods such as chicha was objected to, and, a number
soups, herbal teas, and chicha. Above of times, attempts were made to ban
all, chicha had sanitary properties, it it. In this manner, Viceroy Francisco
could be drunk without fear of falling de Toledo included chicha on his long
ill. According to Antúnez de Mayolo, list of prohibited activities. It happens
everyone in the pre-Hispanic world Mestiza woman drinking chicha (Cuzco, 1931). that the Spanish were trying to battle
drank chicha on a daily basis. Andean social customs, and some sta-
Chicha also had nutritional pro- te employees and intransigent priests
perties, given that many food products had beaten their drums against the
were dehydrated, a procedure which Taverns of Arequipa Andean custom of drinking chicha at
was indispensable to their conserva- ceremonies, a phenomenon which was
tion. [...] Untreated water is not the
best beverage to drink with dry foods, W hile the customers chat and laugh, eat and drink sip by sip, a new batch
of chicha is boiled and matured before their very eyes in a corner of the
tavern. The procedures for the preparation and manufacture of this indigenous
accentuated during the “destruction of
idolatries” phase of colonization.
since the latter, in order to release Though marginalized, chicha
their nutrients, require fermentation, liquor are simple and inexpensive: in a hole six square feet in area and one foot survived the colonial era through use
which is favored by the ingestion of deep, a certain amount of corn taken off the cob is placed lightly moistened and by the indigenous population, and
chicha. covered with boards, which are weighted down with heavy stones; in eight days’ suddenly and surprisingly reappeared
There are an incredible number of time, the heat and moisture have combined to cause the grain to germinate, on the surface during the eighteenth
varieties of chicha. Though the most which is called guñapo. The latter is then taken out of the pit, dried in the sun, century. This fate was common to
famous variety is prepared through and then sent to a mill, where coarse milling stones grind the substance without cultural objects characteristic of
the use of jora corn—which Guaman crushing it. From the mill, it is sent back to the chichería, where women throw indigenous life, such as clothing, or
Poma called sura asua—, there were it into large vats filled with water, and boil it for an entire day. At dusk, the dis- queros, which were portraits of Inca
in fact a multitude of different types. tillers filter this thick liquid through a cloth which has been tied on both sides, nobility. All of these symbols, despite
There were chichas made of other and let it cool off until the next morning, at which point it is ready for drinking. having been relatively hidden during
vegetables, and different ways of This local beer is not only consumed by commoners, but also by the aristo- the sixteenth century, were widely
preparing corn chicha. Among the cracy of the area, who, while they repudiate chicha as a vile beverage, drink it in consumed during the following cen-
former, masato is particularly notewor- secret as a delicacy, just as occurs with our Spanish creoles in the Antilles, who tury. The market for these symbols
thy. Masato is produced throughout disdainfully disparage grilled codfish or Angolan calalou de gombauds et de pois extended throughout the southern
the Americas, and was the first native as “food for Blacks” but then enjoy these dishes behind closed doors. Peruvian Andes and Alto Peru (now Bolivia,)
beverage encountered by the Spanish, bourgeoisie, more forthcoming in this matter than the aristocracy, will proclaim expressing a renaissance of forms of
and was described by Christopher their affection for chicha out loud, and even bestow the beverage with the hu- the Empire of Cuzco which recalled
Columbus in his travel diary. Likewise, morous diminutive chichita. If they are to be believed, the most wonderful times the greatness of the Inca past. In this
there were chichas made of other of their lives and the best spent are those spent below the lemon trees of a rural manner, Andean culture experienced
cereals, such as quinoa and cañigua; chicheria, with a spicy dish of fried guinea pig and hot peppers, accompanied a cultural renaissance during the
chicha made from fruits such as molle by a jug of chicha fermented the night before. Enlightenment, manifesting the recu-
and carob; chicha made of tubers such peration of a certain material wealth
as oca and apichu; as well as peanut and the continuity of an independent
In Paul Marcoy (2001). Viaje a través de América del Sur, Lima: volume I, Instituto Francés De
chicha, which was possibly the second Estudios Andinos (IFEA), Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú (PUCP), Banco Central de indigenous elite, which felt it time to
most important beverage on the Peru- Reserva (BCR), Centro Amazónico de Antropología y Aplicación Práctica (CAAP), 567 pp. reclaim a prominent position in the
vian coast and in the Andes. imperial order, taking into considera-
CHASQUI 8Street Chicha Saleswomen, Recipes
or Chicheras Fresh Corn Chicha*
Quero. Engraving by Paul Marcoy.
C hicheras were old, skinny festivals are celebrated. Chicheras Ingredients (for twenty-four servings):
Afro-Peruvian women, who set up around the corresponding 1.5 kilograms (3.3 lbs) of fresh giant
in the past would carry corn chi- churches, with a well stocked white corn, 12 liters of water, 0.5
kilogram (1.1 lbs) sugar in the raw. 1
cha, also known as “chicha de and adorned table, which give an
tablespoon of clove, 1 large shaving of
Terranova”, in huge earthen jugs. appetite to even the least hungry
cinnamon.
This beverage was, according to churchgoers. In those days there
Preparation: Dry the fresh corn in the
popular legend, a powerful medi- were a number of different kinds of sun for one day; the next day, grind
cine comparable, only the elixir de chicha, but the most common were and boil on low flame for four hours
longa vita. As they walked through those made of jora corn, chickpeas, with the cinnamon and clove, stirring
the city, the chicheras would sing pineapple, and purple corn. All regularly. Strain, let cool, and put in a lbs) ground white corn, 400 grams (0.88
the following song: were served in large glasses, but large earthen vessel in a cool room and lb) brown sugar. 1 tablespoon clove,
the latter had the particularity that cover with a tablecloth. Strain again sugar in the raw.
Ay, que rica chicha [Oh, what delicious chicha] none were in good shape, ranging the following day, add sugar, cover, Preparation: Grind the peanuts and
del día de hoy... [I’ve got with me today] from lacquered glasses to those and let ferment for three days. Serve, clove, mix with the corn, and boil for
naide me llama [Nobody is asking for any] mended with tin cans. sweetening if desired. two hours with the brown sugar, on low
Que ya me voy [So I’ll just be on my way] flame, stirring regularly.
Strain, let cool, and put in a large ear-
Engraving by Manuel Atanasio Fuentes (1860)
Afro-peruvian chichera selling her wares in Lima.
Quinoa Chicha*
The street chicha saleswomen Ingredients (for twenty-four servings): then vessel in a cool room, cover with
have disappeared entirely, though 10 liters of water, .75 kilogram (1.6 a tablecloth, and let ferment for three
in the middle of the last century lbs) quinoa, 1 bundle of fennel, 1 cup days. Serve, sweetening if desired.
there was still an eighty year old ground rice, ½ cup roasted ground
chichera who still sold her wares peanuts, 4 shavings of cinnamon, 2 ta- Jora Corn Chicha**
on the streets of Lima. In their blespoons toasted ground sesame seeds Ingredients: 1 1/5 kilograms (2.6 lbs)
place, the number of stands selling 1 tablespoon of anis, 5 kilograms jora corn, 1 kilogram (2.2 lbs) barley,
chicha have augmented conside- refined sugar, ¼ liter leftover chicha 10 liters of water, 1 tablespoon clove,
rably throughout the entire city, and guiñapo Sugar (to taste)
Preparation: Soak the quinoa for Preparación: Toast the barley and jora
both in the downtown area and
one day, then let germinate for three corn in a clean, ungreased frying pan. In
outside the city walls, due to the
days on cabbage leaves placed on wet a large pot, boil the water, barley, jora
fact that the populace attributes
In Rosario Olivas Weston (1999). La cocina hay. Remove, dry, and toast when dry. corn, and clove. Stir continuously to
a thousand healthful qualities to avoid thickening. When half the water
cotidiana y festiva de los limeños en el siglo Boil the quinoa on low flame with the
this beverage. These stands are XIX. Lima: Fondo Editorial de la Univer- has boiled off, add 5 more liters of water,
fennel, sesame seeds, and two cups of
particularly present when religious sidad de San Martín de Porres, 183 pp.
sugar, stirring regularly. Cover with a boiling for another hour and a half. Let
tablecloth and let ferment for three cool, then add sugar and strain. Place
tion that the latter was being reformed been cooked, marinated, and slowly days in a cool room. Serve, sweetening in an earthen (if possible) pitcher, and
by the new Bourbon dynasty. germinated, from the images of the if desired. let ferment for several days. This chicha
Over the course of the last two Afro-Peruvian women on the streets should be stirred at least once a day.
hundred years, chicha has progres- of old Lima, baskets on their heads, Peanut Chicha*
* In Alonso Ruiz Rosas (2008). La gran cocina
sively shed its links with its origi- offering spicy stews for sale through Ingredients (for twenty-four servings): mestiza de Arequipa, Arequipa: Gobierno Regio-
nal environment. In ancient Peru, spicy, irreverent sales pitches. 10 liters of water, 1 kilogram (2.2 lbs) nal de Arequipa, 453 pp.
everything was tied together in an Today, we must confront the pa- raw shelled peanuts. 0.5 kilogram (1.1 ** www.yanuq.com.
organic manner; there were different radigms which have been imposed on
varieties of corn, and more than one us and which have governed us for
was developed especially for the pro- centuries, in which we have construc-
duction of chicha. Likewise, produc- ted a poor, marginal, and undervalued Chicherías [Chicha Bars]
tion and conservation were based on image of our picanterías and their and picanterías
local conditions, and unique solutions emblematic beverage, chicha. With
E
were the result. This was a world in their spicy stews and emblematic dis- very afternoon, after work and before going home, a large number of Cuzco
which food products were part of hes, and chicha as a standard-bearer, residents head for their neighborhood “Chichería” or the one closest to
nature, and nutrition was the art of these should not be far-away modest their workplace, to have a glass or two of chicha with their friends and dis-
making the environment flourish for spaces, reserved for the weekend visits cuss the day’s events. This is a very old custom. The origin of these “Chicha
subsequent consumption. As explai- of nearby families, rather, they should Taverns” or “chicherías” dates from the first years of the colonial era. They
ned by Fernando Cabieses (1996), in present themselves with dignity as an were established throughout the cities, towns, and roads of the land. Chicha
the ancient world, foods were part of a achievement and cultural patrimony, was the beverage most drunk by Indians, Mestizos, and the Spanish alike,
sanitary system, in which the whole so- as the generous expression of the cu- because it was thought to be the elixir for a long life. Every chichería in the
ciety was understood to be part of the linary identity of regional Peru. city of Cuzco was characterized as being the meeting place for a given social
cosmos. Today, all of this preparation or professional group (lawyers, judges, artisans, or intellectuals.) They would
is fragmented into different, separate gather at their chichería to share ideas and thoughts, and to discuss the events
units, with no sense of connection of everyday life, culture, and politics. Those located in small towns and in the
between them whatsoever, though outskirts of Cuzco, more modest in appearance, were frequented by peasant
these connections were clear to the farmers and travelers. They had hay and water for customers’ animals. At some,
people from a given would gather. For example, those who came on foot or
societies of yesteryear. As such, chicha
on horseback from the Anta region would rest at the chicherías in Santa Ana
has lost its natural points of reference.
or Poroy. There are still hundreds of chicherías in business. In the city, they
Finally, it must be considered that
are located in old mansions, and have very modest furniture: long tables and
chicha is the liquid soul of picante- benches. All of these chicherías are run by Indian or Mestiza women. Chicha
rías1. Chicha and snacks, spice and is not kept, but drunk fresh- as established in colonial times- and is announced
smoothness, are the wise, harmonious, with a flag, a can of flowers, a poster, or a chalkboard. The glasses used to
and complementary dichotomy which drink chicha are called “caporales” and hold a half liter of the beverage. In
may be found and enjoyed to an equal Inca times, cups made of gold, silver, wood, and gourds were used. Wooden
degree in picanterías in Piura and cups, known as “quero” (qiro), were recommended, because you could tell if
Arequipa, Chiclayo and Cuzco. Pican- Excerpted from Rafo León (editor) (2008). Chi- the chicha within had been poisoned.
terías have been the spaces in which cha peruana, una bebida, una cultura [Peruvian
our regional culinary identities have Chicha, a beverage, a culture], Lima: Fondo
Editorial de la Universidad de San Martín de In Rosario Olivas Weston (1999). La cocina cotidiana y festiva de los limeños en el siglo XIX.
Porres, 237 pp. Photos: Billy Hare. Lima: Fondo Editorial de la Universidad de San Martín de Porres, 183 pp.
1 Traditional restaurants serving spicy stews. Website: www.usmp.edu.pe/fondoeditorial.
CHASQUI 9César Calvo
PASSION AND THE WRITTEN WORD
Arturo Córdova*
If there is a way to summarize the poetry of César Calvo it would have to be its ominous vitality, a solitary and plural poetry, a
poetry made of nerves and pulse, of voyages, forgetting, memory, and passion. Almost ten years after his death, his voice
(one of the most powerful of what is known as the Generation of 1960) still sounds fresh and resonates with his readers.
I
n the early 1960’s, it was announced that a Ausencias y retardos; revealing a romantic spirit
Photo: Archives, Caretas Magazine.
literary contest, called “The Young Poet of in texts evoking the tearing of forgetting, of
Peru” would be held, commissioned by the love lost and the distance with allows the poet
Trujillo-based magazine Cuadernos Trimestrales to fill this emptiness with luminous images:
de Poesía [Quarterly Notebooks of Poetry]. The “Me han contado también que allá las noches
prize was shared by two poets: Javier Heraud, / tienen ojos azules / y lavan sus cabellos en
for El viaje [The Voyage], and César Calvo, for ginebra. / ¿Es cierto que allá en Vermont,
Poemas bajo tierra [Poems Under the Earth]. cuando sueñas / el silencio es un viento de
The two also shared a close friendship, which jazz sobre la hierba? / ¿Y es cierto que allá en
even led them to write a book together, called Vermont los geranios / inclinan al crepúsculo
Ensayo a dos voces [An Essay in Two Voices], a / y en tu voz, a la hora de mi nombre, / en tu
collection of poems cut short by the early and voz, las tristezas?” [“They have told me, too,
deeply felt death of Heraud. that the nights up there / have blue eyes / and
Calvo made his debut on the Peruvian poetry wash their hair in gin. /Is it true that when
scene with Poemas bajo tierra (1961). Even you dream up there in Vermont / the silence
when the stylistic changes proposed by the is that of a wind of jazz in the grass? /And is it
poets of the Generation of 1960 such as true that up there in Vermont the geraniums
Antonio Cisneros, Rodolfo Hinostroza, Luis / tilt toward the twilight / and in your voice, at
Hernández, and Juan Ojeda, to name just a my name’s time / in your voice, the sadness?”]
few are quite evident—these in turn having (“Nocturno de Vermont”) [“Vermont Noctur-
been influenced by the intellectualist poetry ne”]. It is also this distance which allows him
of Pound and Eliot, exploring the narrative to affirm his condition as an inexhaustible
form in poetry, the colloquialism, wordplay, lover in wait, recreating absence with promises
and humor—there are still links with some and complaints: “Porque en barcos de nieve,
of the most prominent poets of the 1950’s. diariamente, / tus cartas / no me llegan. / Y
These links are felt particularly in the poems in como el prisionero que sostiene / con su frente
Sachavaca (Tapirus terrestris). dibujo de H. W. y M. Koepcke, 1960. Gran Geografía del Perú. Manfer-
Calvo’s first book: a strong affinity for rhythm lejana / las estrellas: /.chamuscadas las manos,
Mejía Baca (México, 1988).
and musicality, in addition to the simplicity diariamente / te busco entre la niebla”[Because
used in the way the poems are expressed. In every day, on boats of snow, / your letters / do
this first work published by Calvo, certain affi- not arrive. / And like the prisoner who holds
nities with the poetry of Cesar Vallejo should up / with his distant forehead / the stars: /
also be noted, such as the subject of provincial with scorched hands, every day / I search for
life, poverty, or a nostalgic gaze towards the you in the fog.]
family environment. The passion with which Calvo writes about
Calvo’s poetry is intimate and lifelike, dealing love is converted into an act of resistance
with absence and the recollection of lost against time and his voracious condition,
elements –be these childhood, the father, reducing all to a remnants, remains, and
on love– “Nada pudo diciembre contra el oblivion. Calvo’s voice rises like a painful
semestre tuyo. / Nada el sol silencioso contra lament, not only individual, but rather
tu sombra hablada. / Desde el fondo de todo César Calvo (Iquitos, 1940 - Lima, 2000). historic-social, in poems such as “Diario de
/ lo que tengo, / me faltas campaña” [Campaign journal] and “Reloj de
(“Dan las campanas tu recuerdo en punto”) time brings with it. Thought this may be love in Havana in 1967), which reverberates with arena” [Hourglass], one of the most prominent
[“December could do nothing against your or memory, here the distance and solitude that an intense vitality—battling between memory poems in his following publication, Pedestal
semester / And the Sun nothing against your the poet himself assumes predominate. From and forgetfulness, between death and love— para nadie [A pedestal for no one] (1970). In
spoken shadow / From the bottom of / all I this relegated space, he announces poetic and a great commitment to life and society. this book, Calvo explores new forms: dialo-
have / I miss you / (“The bells ring out your labors as a gift which is also a stigma (and vice- Calvo had strong socialist ideological convic- gue and narrative poems, rhythmic ellipses,
memory on the dot”).] Despite his youth, versa): “Poesía no quiero este camino / que tions, the 1960’s were a period of revolutions, the continual presence of questioning and
Calvo being barely twenty years of age when me lleva a pisar sangre en el prado / cuando utopias, and student revolts, years of political repeating thoughts, etc. The expansion of
the book was published, the poet expresses in la luna dice que es rocío / y cuando mi alma repression and fevered resistance, which solitude and skepticism seems unstoppable in
this work a precocious longevity, a life criss- jura que es espanto” (“Aquel bello pariente de brought Calvo to Bulgaria and Cuba. An in- these poems: “En el instante en que él abrió
crossed with experience; perhaps this causes los pájaros”). “Poetry, I don’t want this path / domitable traveler, he loved as many cities as los brazos / al mundo, lo enterraron. /... / En el
the sensation of decadence and loss offered which brings me to step in blood on the fields he had lovers (there are many legends told of circo vacío, bajo los reflectores / moribundos
by the passage of time, as Calvo expresses so / when the moon says all is dew / and when my his infallible seductive powers.) He also made / es un trapecio que persiste a solas. / Dale la
strongly in one of his most successful poems, soul swears it is horror”] (“Aquel bello pariente incursions into popular music: he recorded a mano, súbelo, protégelo / ya que es su propia
“Aquel bello pariente de los pájaros” [(“That de los pájaros”) [(“That beautiful relative of record album of songs with Reynaldo Naranjo madre, la caricia / que olvidó el primer día, al
beautiful relative of the birds”)]: “Tu niño the birds”)] Or in the poem “Venid a ver el and Carlos Hayre, collaborated with the Afro- retornar / de un viaje que no pudo emprender
preferido —¡si lo vieras!— / es el alma de un cuarto del poeta” [Come one, come all, and Peruvian dance group Perú Negro, and was nunca” [At the same instant he opened his
ciego que pena entre los cactus, / rabioso jar- see the poet’s room”], in which he positions also a close friend to the singer-songwriter arms / to the world, he was buried. /.../ In the
dinero de otoños enterrados” [“Your favorite himself in a marginal environment, impove- “Chabuca” Granda. His presence, recall many empty circle, below the moribund /reflectors/
child--- if you saw him now! – / is the soul rished, though not without a certain subtle of his closest friends, was captivating, and from there is a trapeze which goes on all alone / Take
of a blind man hurting between cacti, / an irony: “Venid a ver el cuarto del poeta. / Desde his early youth he had dressed up as a dandy it in your hands, go up on it, protect it / since it
angry gardener of buried autumns.”] (Meta) la calle / hasta mi corazón / hay cincuenta to go read his poems aloud as a student at the is its own mother, the caresses /it forgot about
physical deterioration then takes charge of the peldaños de pobreza. Subidlos. A la izquierda” Universidad de San Marcos. The poet Arturo the first day, on returning / from a trip it was
poet’s personal and social reality: “Afuera las [Come one, come all, and see the poet’s room Corcuera remembers him in the following never able to undertake”.] The presence of
vendimias transcurren todavía / y son huertos / From the street / to my heart / there are fifty manner: “There were always two profiles in paradoxes illustrates the pain for what never
de polvo adentro de mis ojos. / Porque ya las steps of poverty. Climb up them: First door Calvo’s inner face. That of bright, effusive was, and is perhaps linked to the memory of
palabras, ya las noches, ya el cielo, / ya los on the left”]. The poem then concludes with moments, sweet and affectionate, decadent, his great friend Heraud, slain in the Peruvian
claros castillos transmutados en pozos /... / a suggestion of terrible privilege, vital ardor, roaring with talent and fantasy; a Cesar who Amazon in 1963 while returning from a trip
se apagan / en la luz / del otoño” (“En la luz and danger: “(If you don’t find me / then / was exalted by so much love, gregarious and to Cuba on which he was trained as a guerilla
del otoño”) [“Out there the grapevines are asketh me / where I am burning the bonfires)”. generous, keeping our spirits up, forever full fighter. This is the chant to the memory of
running still / and are orchards of dust within Poemas bajo tierra is followed by other books of joyous laughter and causing us to crack up. a lost friend and for unconcluded collective
my eyes. / Because already words, already which confirm Calvo’s quality and poetic par- But there was also a hidden Cesar known only reams: “él es el río, el puente, la pareja / que
nights, already the sky, / already light colored ticularity. Among these, Ausencias y retardos to his closest friends, one who lived through se inclina por última vez: / él es un ruido
castles transmuted into wells/.../ turn off/ in [Absences and latenesses] (1963), El último solitude and pain, omens and the dark, dark apenas por el agua que pasa. / Dale la mano,
the autumn/ light. (“In the autumn light”).] poema de Volcek Kalsaretz [The last poem of night, an achingly sad and defenseless Cesar.” súbelo, protégelo /... / Concédele un instante
That said, there is a tenacious resistance in Volcek Kalsaretz] (1965) and El cetro de los This existential tension hits on a number of para que abra los brazos / al mundo, que está
these poems to the absence that the passage of jóvenes [The scepter of the young] (published dark images which make up the poems in muerto” [He is the river, the bridge, the couple
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