Institute History
Description
Set on a vast cattle ranch in northwest Argentina, The Last Harvest is Miguel Pereira’s story of the old generation giving way to the new and progressive. Chauqui arrives at the La Almona cattle ranch looking for work, having left his home after the death of his son in a mining accident. He wishes to return to the ways of his native people by working the land and growing corn. However, at La Almona, he must learn the ways of a cattle rustler, under the stern eye of the gaucho Julian, who has little patience with the Indian. The tug-of-war between the two men is exacerbated when Chauqui befriends Julian’s illegitimate son, Jose. And with Jose’s help, Chauqui convinces the owner to let him plant a small plot of corn. When the owner’s son, Patricio, returns to La Almona with an agricultural degree and a plan to turn the ranch into a tobacco farm, Julian and Chauqui both face eviction from the land they love. Rendered with the austerity and simplicity that marked The Debt, Periera’s stunning first film, The Last Harvest is a folkloric depiction of the impact of change on people.