Steel Life
(Vida ferrea)
Manuel Bauer | Documentary
2022 | 95 minutes | Peru, Spain
A train trek from Andes to Pacific, Steel Life exposes the sociopolitical complexities of Peru, rich in resources but poor in health and education.
Synopsis
Peruvian director Manuel Bauer offers a fascinating journey aboard a freight train across Peru, an incredible descent from the Altiplano lead mines, at 4,800 meters altitude, to the Pacific shore.
Set amidst gorgeous landscapes, this understated portrait alternates between a road movie peppered with local flair and the social underpinnings of a country victim to Neo-colonialism.
As the train exits its stations, the film uncovers the country’s disillusioned inhabitants. We find a century-old bar that refuses to disappear, a nurse trying to help children with too much lead in their blood to pass through a metal detector, and a city that devours itself with the memories of the people who live in it.
The documentary exposes the paradox of a country rich in resources but poor in human services. While the country celebrates Independence Day with populist speeches and street parades, its population wavers between skepticism and resignation as its resources disappear aboard foreign cargo ships.
Reviews
“Manuel Bauer’s documentary debut weaves a vivid tapestry of experiences that captures the complex sociopolitical fabric of contemporary Peru." - Phuong Le, The Guardian
This vivid documentary follows a train from the Andes to Port of Callao on the Pacific coast, capturing [Peru's] rich life and toxic industrial legacies along the way." - Phuong Le, The Guardian
“The ‘railroad movie’ that shows the beauty and disenchantment of today’s Peru.” – Héctor L. Martinez, El País
Citation
Main credits
Bauer, Manuel (film director)
Bauer, Manuel (film producer)
Bauer, Manuel (screenwriter)
Yépez, Sandra (film producer)
Other credits
Cinematography, José Luis Salomón; editing, Clara Martínez Malagelada, Manuel Bauer.
Citation
Cataloging
Pragda subjects
Culture + Identity
Economics + Social Class Issues
Environment + Sustainability
Geography
Health + Aging
Labor Studies
Latin American Studies
Migration Studies
Sociology
South America
Keywords
Clips
Festivals
International Critics’ Award; Visions du Réel - FICRESCI Award; Al Este - Special Jury Mention; Alcances-Cadiz International Fim Festival - Best Feature Film; Cinema Verite Iran - Special Jury Award; Pordenone Film Festival - Critic´s Award SNCCI
DIRECTOR: Manuel Bauer
NATIONALITY: Peru, Spain
YEAR: 2022
GENRE: Documentary
LANGUAGE: Spanish
COLOR / B&W: Color
GRADE LEVEL: Middle School, High School, College, Adult
SUBTITLE/CC: AVAILABLE
AUDIO DESCRIPTION: NOT AVAILABLE
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