Cantadoras: Musical Memories of Life and Death in Colombia

A deep immersion in songs that chart the historic hardships of Afro-Colombian women in rural Colombia, this clamorous if joyful documentary is an unusual portrait of a community finding strength in its collective voice. Through interviews and archival footage, the film tells us much about the struggle for survival by these women during years past of brutal exploitation, working in white-owned mines, and dealing with violent paramilitaries under government oppression. But it's the constant songs and delightful though sometimes somber footage of the women working together, making food for one another, hacking away at vines, marching, and mourning that dominates "Cantadoras." Always surrounded by curious children, this community exudes its hard-won strength and celebrates endurance and the power of love. Strongly recommended. Aud: I, J, H, C, P. (T. Keogh)