Worlds Together: Ecuador

Producer Elmer Hawkes takes his camera wayyyyyy south-of-the-border in this recent program from his long-running documentary series. Following the general format of combining location footage with maps and a world music soundtrack, Worlds Together: Ecuador explores the South American country's economy, particularly agriculture (which employs a quarter of the nation's workforce, with exports including sugar, tomatoes, barley, and corn) and petroleum; the (majority) Roman Catholic and Spanish-speaking Mestizo population, who live from the Andes to the Amazon Basin; and specific cities, including the wealthy seaport of Guayaquil, the colonial-looking church-filled Cuenca, the thermal baths of Baños, the eco-tourism hotspot Tena, and the capital city of Quito. Also featuring segments on Ecuadorian music (including a bamboo-made rondadour pan pipe), arts and crafts (featured in daily and weekly markets), and food (the national dish encebollado is a soup made from fish, onion, and corn), this informative introduction is recommended. Aud: I, J, P. (J. Williams-Wood)