Original subtitles

1934. Bolivia and Paraguay have a territorial dispute

over the vast and arid lands of Gran Chaco.

A group of Bolivian soldiers, mostly Aymaras and Quechuas,

are led by a retired German commander

summoned by the Bolivian militia.

Take your blankets, too!

Water, gentlemen, a gift from God!

Quick, quick! Fill them up!

Let's go, Soldiers!

Let's go, Soldiers!

Up, up, up!

Let's go!

Go forward!

We have water, gentlemen!

Come on, Soldiers!

Move it!

- Where do you think we are? - I think we're lost.

Nobody knows where we are.

It's sad.

- Yes, but what can we do? - Nothing.

Son of a bitch leader.

Not to Nanawa.

I agree, but we have to try...

to convince that...

fucking German.

Let's go, Soldiers.

I'll hand out the food. Here it is.

- Ticona, get in line! - Come over.

Give me some more.

You just gave him double.

We have little left. The captain said to cut rations.

- Why? You're an idiot. - We have to ration!

- Why? - Why do you call me an idiot?

Move!

Move on, now!

Be fair!

Give me more coca.

Fucking midget!

People like you...

can go far, too.

Did you know that, Soldier?

I had a one-eyed general once.

He was blind in one eye.

But...

his shooting aim... was flawless.

He'd been born in a farm,

just like you.

Captain.

Captain.

They don't like me anymore. It's worse than before.

You're not here to make friends,

you're here to follow orders.

What are you thinking?

Neither you nor I am from here, Captain.

So what?

That's why I think we're lost, Captain.

- Entering sentinel. - Exiting sentinel.

Good night, entering sentinel. Excuse me, entering sentinel.

I leave with no news.

Captain, there's been no sign of the enemy.

We haven't seen them for days.

We haven't shot a single bullet in months, Captain.

- Nanawa... - Nanawa is difficult to reach.

We have insufficient supplies, and we won't find any water.

I suggest, Captain,

that we wait for reinforcements here or rejoin our rearguard.

Worse things can happen in a war, Lieutenant.

We need to move forward.

I'll tell you one more thing.

I don't like civilian attitudes.

Remember you're military men.

I order you to form two groups.

We're pushing on to Nanawa with the smaller one.

The rest waits here for an update.

- Yes, Captain. - Is that clear?

Lieutenant, you'll come with me. That's an order.

Yes, Captain.

They brought my father here.

I have to find him before coming back.

My mother told me, "Do not leave your father behind

or don't bother coming back home."

He must be lost, walking in circles.

- There must be lots of them lost... - Too many...

If my father found this captain

always jerking us around...

he'd crack with his whip and chase him off.

Attention!

Firm!

Left turn!

Company, march!

As of now, Soldier, you're a corporal. Corporal Liborio.

Understood?

Understood, Captain.

Come on, Lieutenant!

Move forward!

Get up, hurry.

Damn it, don't you lose a single bullet.

Go!

Don't look in his eyes, Jacinto. He doesn't like it.

What do you know about mules?

I know some things, Jacinto.

Now you're fine with the captain, right?

He put you in charge of the food.

Surely you get more than enough, share some with me.

No, Jacinto.

If they found out, I'd be hanged.

You know how it is here.

You're the Kari, right?

You're part of the Cuiza family, from my community...

Then we can help each other, Liborio.

No.

There are no friends here, Jacinto.

I'm your superior now.

Now shut your mouth. Silence!

Yes, sir.

Soldier Liborio and Soldier Jacinto.

Yes, sir!

Attention, port arms!

Paraguayans, Captain!

Paraguayans!

- How many? - I don't know. I didn't see them.

How do you know about the soldiers if you didn't see them?

Captain, we need to get around them to decide whether to attack or not.

I saw the camp site, but not the soldiers, Captain.

Lieutenant, go with Liborio and four other soldiers.

I'll be here waiting for your signal.

We'll cover you from here. Go!

After the war, you will return to your village as a hero.

How should I dress the doll?

It's fine like this.

Anything else?

Take one of those tins for yourself.

Thank you, Captain!

This one keeps all the coca for himself.

He's always with the captain.

Fucking dwarf.

He's a bootlicker!

That's it?

You're giving us nothing!

Shit, he's a bit of a bootlicker!

A big one!

Where did you get it?

- He's been looking for food all day. - Let me see.

- What is it? - An armadillo.

There should be lots here. We should go hunting.

- Did you find it nearby? - Yes.

Aren't you eating with the officers?

Ticona, what is it? What did I do to you?

- Look. - What's this?

Stop fighting. I have something to tell you.

Every night I dream...

about my children, my siblings and my cousins.

We're playing on the lakeshore...

running around, catching butterflies.

I catch them, but they die.

Every night I wake up scared,

and I'm sad every day.

What could it mean?

Liborio!

It could mean you just have to take care of yourself.

Misfortune can hit anytime. Gotta keep safe.

You're the shoemaker, right?

I'm talking to you.

Fix them.

Fix the sole for me.

Yes, Lieutenant.

Don't be sad, Ticona.

We'll help you stitch up the boots.

We're just dogs to them.

Liborio.

I want you to go research the north area.

On my own, Captain?

Choose one of your mates.

Make sure no one sees you.

No one.

You understand?

Yes, Captain.

Jacinto. Wake up, let's go!

- Where? - Come with me.

- Stop! - Get on the ground!

Hands up! Let's go, damn it!

- You little shit! - Get up!

Move, fucking traitor!

Move, fucking traitor!

We'll see what the lieutenant has to say!

On your feet. Why were you running away?

Traitor!

Why were you running away?

He was deserting, Lieutenant!

Betraying your country!

Betraying Bolivia!

Lieutenant, the only thing he says is "Kari."

But I'll make him talk.

- Say something! - Let him speak!

I didn't know anything, Lieutenant. The Kari Kari made me go.

Speak clearly, Soldier!

Forgive me, Lieutenant. The Kari made me come along...

I didn't want to go, sir.

It wasn't me. The Kari Kari made me do it!

He's lying, Lieutenant!

It was the Kari, that Devil...

Ants...

Ants.

The ants are biting me! Please let me go!

Rest his head carefully.

Vicente...

Go get water, Vicente.

Go, with this jug, hurry.

I'll take care of Jacinto. Hurry up, Vicente!

I can't leave him. He's very ill.

Come on, Vicente! He needs water. I'll watch him.

Fine, but press this cloth against his chest.

Jacinto...

forgive me.

I didn't know anything. The captain didn't tell me anything.

I didn't know anything, Jacinto.

Forgive me.

Wake up, Soldier.

Soldier.

Officer Eliseo, wake up.

Wake up, Soldiers. Up.

Ticona.

Ticona, take the mule.

I'll carry Jacinto myself.

Move on!

Lieutenant...

take the mule.

Kill it.

Are you sure?

What about you, Captain?

I'll walk.

You have two options here.

Either walk...

or die.

Yes, Captain.

Liborio, help me.

Let me see. Excuse me. Get back! Get back!

Hey, what's up with you?

Get back!

Give me some first.

First for the captain and the lieutenant.

With meat on it, or else the captain will get angry.

- That's a lot. - Now get out of here!

Get out of here!

Leave it there.

Leave it there, Soldier.

What are you doing, Soldier?

You're Kari Siri, right?

Save your bullets, Officer.

Let's go, Soldier. We have to keep going.

Jacinto...

Rest now. God will take you in.

We're right behind you, He'll also take us in.

Lay to rest now, Jacinto. Don't leave us, Jacinto.

- Water. Water, sir. - Where?

There.

Captain, water.

Captain.

Chew this coca, Captain.

No, no.

Lieutenant.

We'll stop here.

They're exhausted.

Everyone is.

- Okay. - Good, Captain.

I used to have a big army.

My army...

Eighty thousand men...

Captain.

My captain.

Listen, Captain.

Officer Eliseo found something outside.

I can go if you want, Captain.

Do you understand?

Officer Eliseo is not reliable. You know him.

I'll go, my captain.

Take my shirt, Soldier.

Give me my shirt.

If we want to survive, we have to take a different route.

Captain.

Officer Eliseo found something...

What is it, Lieutenant?

You forgot who's in charge?

Captain, sir.

Officer Eliseo has found human remains. We need to confirm.

We don't know if they're Paraguayan or not.

Let the officer go

with Corporal Liborio to the place.

We will confirm.

Why does Liborio get to go?

That's what we'll do, Lieutenant.

- I don't agree... - Wait!

I didn't finish!

Corporal Liborio will go with the officer to the mentioned place.

He'll verify this.

Take some munitions and food supplies

and leave as soon as possible. Understood?

- Yes, Captain. - Good.

Understood.

Paraguayan? Bolivian?

Bolivian?

Paraguayan?

Fortin Nanawa... water

I know, Ticona.

It's you who can't see anything.

The captain lied to us!

He lied to us.

If we ever make it to Nanawa, we'll perish like flies!

You know, damn it! We'll die like flies!

Damn it, Ticona!

Everybody seems to have left, Lieutenant.

Where would you go?

Far away, I don't want to be here.

And if you die?

Dying would be better.

We've been digging for water forever

and we still haven't found anything.

I'm sick of this dust.

I can't work anymore.

They say we'll hit water, but we still haven't found any.

There is no water in this land.

All we have found so far

is wet, smelly dirt.

It's no use. This well is cursed.

There's no water here.

Are vizcachas edible?

We could catch them. Can we catch vizcachas?

Yes.

Could we get ill? I've heard vizcachas are not meant to be eaten.

They say they are not.

They say they eat dead people, and that could get us ill.

They say they go to cemeteries, and eat corpses.

I'm hungry already.

I'm starving, too, and I'm not thinking straight.

That vizcacha could get us ill.

Captain.

This is the last.

There's no more food left.

We're out of water.

What about the well?

It's just mud.

- Should we dig another one? - No.

Don't worry.

Keep digging, and you'll find something.

Look, a deserter.

Let him go.

He'll die anyway.

What about us?

We're staying here.

My mother's

Sobbing

Will come down as rain

My mother's

Sobbing

Will come down as rain

Ticona!

Ticona!

Do you remember Jacinto?

Here he is.

We've all ended up in the same well.

We should get out of here!

It's too late.

To my grandfather

A Film by Diego Mondaca