You Only Live Once (La Vida Una Sola)

Director: Marianne Eyde
Screenwriters: Marianne Eyde

Institute History

  • 1994 Sundance Film Festival

Description

Nowhere is day-to-day existence more tragic and complex than where there is political upheaval. The plight of Peruvian peasants is captured In this cogent, restrained portrait of a small Andean village caught between sides in a revolution. Shining path guerrillas, posing as students on vacation, enter the village and coerce its leaders into solidarity with them. When the town government resists, they take over, declare the village a liberated zone, and execute all "counterrevolutionaries.” Soon the army, under a swaggering, super macho chief, moves to push the Shining Path out of the village which they've previously threatened to punish if it sided with revolutionaries.

Norwegian director Marianne Eyde, who has worked in Lima since graduating from the university in 1980, depicts the desperation of these most vulnerable members of society. Her stylized realism manages to avoid strict ideology (although some might argue her attack on both sides is inherently counterrevolutionary) while focusing on everyday realities. Her plea for understanding speaks volumes: this pointed, yet balanced film is both a rational and emotional assessment of the real costs of change and progress In Latin America.


Monday Jan 24 1:40 pm
Holiday Village Cinema III

Thursday Jan 21 1:20 pm
Holiday Village Cinema II

$7.00

— Geoffrey Gilmore

Screening Details

Credits

As you use our Online Archives, please understand that the information presented from Festivals, Labs, and other activities is taken directly from official publications from each year. While this information is limited and doesn't necessarily represent the full list of participants (e.g. actors and crew), it is the list given to us by the main film/play/project contact at the time, based on the space restrictions of our publications. Each entry in the Online Archives is meant as a historical record of a particular film, play, or project at the time of its involvement with Sundance Institute. For this reason, we can only amend an entry if a name is misspelled, or if the entry does not correctly reflect the original publication. If you have questions or comments, please email [email protected]