Panama!

Not many films can boast what The Wind and the Water can: that it's the first documentary ever made by an indigenous Panamanian tribe. The Kuna people own and live on a collection of 365 islands off the coast of Panama City, which, as you can imagine, is some of...

By P. Scott Cunningham

November 5, 2009

[
        {
          "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Inline Content - Mobile Display Size",
          "component": "19274298",
          "insertPoint": "2",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "2"
        },{
          "name": "Editor Picks",
          "component": "17482312",
          "insertPoint": "4",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "1"
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "18711090",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "17482310",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "18711090",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Air - Leaderboard Tower - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "17482313",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        }
      ]

Not many films can boast what The Wind and the Water can: that it's the first documentary ever made by an indigenous Panamanian tribe. The Kuna people own and live on a collection of 365 islands off the coast of Panama City, which, as you can imagine, is some of the most beautiful real estate in the world. All kinds of developers have tried to pry it away from them, but, in a tribute to the Kuna's badassedness, they've stayed true to their communal roots and told the modern world to go "f" itself.

You're probably thinking now that his movie is one of the boring documentaries that floridly praises the innocent savage. Wrong again. Director Vero Bollow turned the reigns of the film over to the tribe itself, and they wrote, crewed, and starred in the resulting fictional film: a smartly-crafted narrative about the clash of cultures. To say it's unlike anything you'll see at a Regal or an AMC is a tremendous understatement.
Tue., Nov. 10, 7 p.m., 2009

KEEP NEW TIMES FREE... Since we started New Times, it has been defined as the free, independent voice of Miami, and we'd like to keep it that way. Your membership allows us to continue offering readers access to our incisive coverage of local news, food, and culture with no paywalls. You can support us by joining as a member for as little as $1.