EDUCATIONAL SHEET

PRESENTATION

TEACHER NOTES

Tantas Almas is the story of a father who struggles, trying not to go

crazy, to rebuild his life after he loses the most precious thing he has,

his children. Throughout Jose's journey, the film raises several

fundamental questions: How does a father manage to overcome the

pain of the violent death of his children? How does a human being

face the impossibility of mourning? How does a society to protect

and keep the best it has, hope?

Tantas Almas, as well as Rincón Gille’s previous documentaries, has a

thematic and narrative core: oral tradition as a creative element

against violence. Not the academic or learned word. The popular

word, enriched by the heritage of generations that listen to it and

repeat it, creating sense to what it was and what it is. Oral tradition

builds a world riche, magic, wonderful and often surprising. A world

and realities that resists to violence.

SUBJECTS

Civic education, Human sciences, Natural sciences

KEYWORDS

Religious syncretism, Mourning, Colombia, Magdalena River, Father,

Popular culture, Armed conflict, Political violence, Paramilitarism,

Forced displacement, Wandering souls, Narratives and violence, Oral

tradition

SYNOPSIS

Jose, a fisherman, learns that two of his sons have been murdered

and thrown into the river. He sets out to find them, traveling through

regions ravaged by fear. In the end, with the help of magical prayers,

he manages to stay alive and to recover bodies that he makes his

own.

TECHNICAL SHEET

Genre: Fiction

Written and directed by Nicolas Rincón Gille

Director of Photography - Juan Sarmiento G. (ADFC)

Sound - Vincent Nouaille

Editor - Cedric Zoenen

Art Director - Laís Melo

Sound Design - Edson Secco

Producers - Hector Ulloque Franco & Manuel Ruiz Montealegre

Coproducers - Aurélien Bodinaux, Oualid Baha, Larissa Figueiredo

& Rafael Urban

Produced by - MEDIO DE CONTENCIO�N PRODUCCIONES (Colombia)

In co-production with - NEON ROUGE / NRW SPRL (Belgium), STO

LAT FILMS (Brazil), TACT PRODUCTION (France)

With the support of - Proimágenes Colombia, Fédération Wallonie

Bruxelles, Ancine Brasil, CNC - Aide aux cinémas du monde - Institut

Français, ARRI International Support Program

PRESENTATION

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Awards:

Etoile d'Or of the Best Feature Film

Marrakech International Film Festival

Special Jury mention - Trois Continents festival - Nantes

Festivals:

Busan International Film Festival

International Film Festival Rotterdam: IFFR

Luxembourg City Film Festival

Festa dei cinema de Roma

Tromsø International Film Festival

Festival Internacional de Cine de Cartagena de Indias

RELATED FILMS

En lo escondido(Those who are waiting in the dark) 2007 Nicolás Rincón Gille

Los abrazos del río (The embrace of the river) 2010 Nicolás Rincón Gille

Noche herida(Wounded Night) 2015 Nicolás Rincón Gille

FILMTHE STRUGGLE OF A FATHER

How to overcome the pain of a violent death?

Colombia, on the banks of Magdalena Medio, 2002.

Jose returns home, deep in the forest, after a long fishing night to discover that

paramilitary forces killed his two sons, Dionisio and Rafael, and threw their

bodies into the river. José begins a lonely journey to retrieve and provide a

proper burial for his boys, in order to prevent their tormented souls from being

stuck in this world. Aboard his canoe, Jose discovers the magic of a country

torn into pieces.

Tantas Almas is the story of a father who struggles, trying not to go crazy, to

rebuild his life after he loses the most precious thing he has, his children.

Throughout Jose's journey, the film raises several fundamental questions: How

does a father manage to overcome the pain of the violent death of his children?

How does a human being face the impossibility of mourning? How does a

society to protect and keep the best it has, hope?

When violence seems to take everything away, mourning becomes a vital

necessity. The memory of the dead depends on their bodies. Without

mourning, memories become omnipresent and it is almost impossible to

rebuild your life to keep on living. Mass killings, the bodies “disappeared” in the

rivers, and the prohibition against looking for them to bury them were the

modus operandi with which paramilitary groups dominated Colombian farmers.

The death of some made it impossible for the rest to go on living. A planned

violence that sought to annihilate everything.

Jose, a fisherman, stands up against this state of affairs; and through him, all of

humanity.

Violence can feed the dramatic objectives of film with a certain ease. A

weapon, the possibility of killing or dying, create immediate suspense. But it is

difficult to portray extreme violence (the systematic extermination of Jews,

Tutsis, etc.). Violence goes beyond our ability to deal with it. Sometimes, when

human beings have been completely annihilated, it is impossible to craft a story

about it without thinking about two essential questions: Who is telling this

story? What is being sought through efforts to bring the inconceivable back to

life?

ACTIVITIES

• Could you explain in your own words why Jose decided to look for his children?

•What grab your attention the most about Jose's trip?

• Do you know people who have had to mourn a loved one? What grab your attention about their stories?

• Try to explain in your own words what the grief means.

Throughout Jose's journey, the film poses several fundamental questions, for example:

How does a father manage to overcome the pain of the violent death of his children?

For the filmmaker, the purpose of working on this theme is to bring the

audience into the story, so they feel the weight of the horror without

necessarily having to endure it. In this way, the viewer can see the mechanisms

of violence (planned political violence) and understand the implications of the

struggles waged by characters like Jose. Thus, Tantas Almas attempts to forge

its own approach in a field of cinematic reflection that has been collective: the

river and its relationship to violence. This field stretches from El río de las

tumbas (Dead Men’s River) to the more recent El silencio del río (Silence in the

River). The desire to face the horror head-on, by clearly showing its actors and

trying to draw out its political implications, is balanced by an interest in popular

practices of resistance.

In this regard, Tantas Almas is a work of fiction that stays close to the victims’

perspective, which is rich, complex, and universal, where everyone could

imagine what it means to not be able to mourn their loved ones.

Nicolás Rincón Gille has always been plagued by these questions. As a filmmaker

and as a Colombian. In the testimonials that he heard and that helped him write

the script of the film, violence is an unbearable act that obscures the rest of the

narrative. They don’t seek to faithfully describe the act of horror itself, but

rather try to marginalize it by changing their register or telling it quickly, in

order to move on to the essential part: what was left behind, what will be no

longer...

FILMTHE REAL AND THE INVISIBLE

How does a realistic film tell the invisible?

Tantas Almas doesn’t handle the imaginary and the real with a different

treatment. Only through Jose can we feel the depth of his traditional beliefs

and the existence of an imaginary world that is not detached and independent:

Souls, protection prayers, songs, and funeral rites all occur in people’s words.

Nicolás Rincón Gille did not intend to film them with anything but a realistic

approach at any time. However, scenes like the appearance of Jose's son's t-

shirt or a song that sounds in the distance to guide him, will be magical

moments that will be on the edge of the possible.

In some cases, in cinema, making something felt or suggesting it is more

effective than showing. The souls’ strength comes from the fact that some

people hear them and feel them, not necessarily from our ability to see them.

The victims of violence do not fully disappear, despite their deaths; they remain

floating in the landscape, marking the everyday world. The testimonies and the

victims’ perspective made the filmmaker understand that the world of the dead

intermingles with that of the living and leaves its mark. The film plays with

memory. And showing the invisible can wind up trivializing it.

One of the main characteristics of this film is its handling of the passage of

time. In the midst of a violent context, it makes a lot of sense to present the

character’s surroundings in long takes, allowing for descriptions of banal

activities like making something to eat or building a place to sleep. The

rumbling of Jose’s stomach in front of the paramilitary commander is an

example of this mix. More than a simple contemplation, it is a detailed

description of what Jose does to stay alive.

Another key element of the film is its capacity to make viewers feel the terror

of the paramilitaries. Not through events that are directly seen but rather

through the reactions of and encounters with characters who have suffered

under them and confronted them. Jose lives in a violent world that precedes

the narrative. The film focus on elements that reflect the oppression suffered

by the characters in a way that is slightly out of step with the audience’s

perception: idyllic landscapes are gradually transformed into oppressive spaces

without any apparent way out.

ACTIVITIES

• What are the images or scenes that marked you the most about the film?

• Name three moments in which Jose's beliefs are told or implied.

• Do you remember some references to Jose’s religion practices? Can you describe them?

• Do you have objects, rituals or beliefs that you use in your daily life? Make a description and mention when you use them.

The testimonies and the victims’ perspective made the filmmaker understand that the world

of the dead intermingles with that of the living and leaves its mark.

The narrative takes place through long shots, with a slow editing pace and few

close- ups, where the sequence shots are essential. For example, the power of

the river and its natural environment comes from a long contemplation of their

movement. Moreover, the shots were filmed mostly with natural light, making

the most of the best moments of the day to shot in each of the landscapes

depending on their dramatic load.

Concerning the sound, the film proposes a dense space out of natural

elements. The narrative is reinforced through persistent, repetitive, dark

sounds, all of which will come from nature. In some cases the narrative will

take place off screen (Jose sees nothing but hears what is happening).

All of the music is diegetic. The songs, the small-town band, will comprise the

film’s internal music.

The use of spoken language is fundamental; its power depends on sound

recording during the shooting. The dialogs are the expression of popular forms

of seeing the world. Sometimes, they facilitate the expression of viewpoints

connected to traditional beliefs. Songs or prayers are also key. The appropriate

tone is one of closeness, reinforcing the characters’ intimate resistance. The

tone of the conversations is that of something told in confidence, revealing the

fear of being heard by an unseen person.

Another important element is Jose’s silence. Popular speech is powerful because

we listen to it, because of the silence that precedes it or follows it. The dialogs

are not fast. The pauses are decisive. And it is on Jose’s silent body, on his face,

that the spoken word will become meaningful.

FILMJOSE AND THE RIVER

A father looking for his sons

Jose is a humble fisherman. Although slightly younger, he has much in

common with the protagonists of No One Writes to the Coronel and

The Old Man and the Sea: a character whose age makes him

intrinsically charismatic. His actions will make him even more

charismatic. Jose is stubborn and goes through life as if nothing

affected him. One of the strongest emotions to impact the audience

will be their discovery, from the outside, of those little moments

when he cannot feign indifference.

Jose will always maintain a “secret corner.” His actions are not

conceived as a way to make his psychology transparent. Recovering

his sons’ bodies is the only thing that matters to him. This pushes him

to develop a cunning that is at times amoral. Taciturn and silent

despite his pain, Jose makes it possible to build a narrative that is not

hopeless tragedy. Some of his actions will only be understood later.

Others, like the ending, are left open and allow for multiple

interpretations.

Jose faces a wide range of situations. Everyday, banal moments,

filmed with a strict representation of time, like making coffee or

eating an orange, are interspersed with extraordinary events: finding

his younger son’s body, his confrontation with a paramilitary

commander, his decision to appropriate another person’s remains to

transform them into his eldest son, etc. This alternating succession

brings to the film the same overlap between the real and the

imaginary as that present in popular Colombian culture, without ever

falling into a fantasy film style or creating a mystical perception.

ACTIVITIES

• What characteristics can you mention about Jose’s character?

• What other characters do you remember?What grab your attention about them?

• How is Jose's relationship with the other characters?

• Do you remember the bodies that Jose finds in the river, what is special about them?

• The title of the film refers to many souls. To which or to whom does it refer? How can you interpret the title regarding Jose’s story?

Jose faces a wide range of situations.

Everyday, banal moments, filmed with a strict representation of time, are interspersed with extraordinary events

One of the main characteristics of Tantas Almas, is the reunion

between natural and professional actors. The man who embodies

Jose is an actual fisherman who knows the river and near the

character’s reality. On the other hand, the paramilitary commander

and the other Jose, who almost drowns, are played by experienced

actors. Their significance and importance in the dialog, as well as their

interaction with the other characters, required all of the subtlety and

intensity that can be provided by professional actors.

It should be noted that some of the characters in this film were

inspired by some of the people the filmmaker has met in recent years.

Mrs. Muñoz is María Inés, a woman who worked for years in a village

alongside the river called Beltrán, where she kept records of bodies as

she rescued them.

FILMIF THE RIVER COULD TALK

Oral tradition against violence

Tantas Almas is a realistic film about a magical belief that communicates its

original power to the viewer, focusing on Jose’s particular journey without ever

attempting to supplant him, through a false subjective vision or by

demonstrating his thought process. But, which is it origin?

The desire to make this film was born at a precise moment. When Nicolás

Rincón Gille were doing the field work on his documentary film Los abrazos del

río in 2008, he lived in the city of Barrancabermeja. Every day, I travelled by

motor boat to talk with a group of women about the death of their loved ones

at the hands of paramilitaries. There were no words, no logic, to explain what

they had experienced. They had lived through an injustice that they could not

talk about very often.

Until the filmmaker met Nelly and told him her story. Nelly, like so many other

women in the region, had two brothers who had been murdered and

immediately thrown into the river. Her story did not end there, but continued

with her father’s journey. A lifelong fisherman, he immediately decided to set

out to find their bodies, knowing that he was unlikely to succeed and that,

above all, he was risking his own life. This irrational decision was an act of

bravery. But in reality, he had no other option and he was driven by a deep

conviction: the unburied dead become wandering souls and wander across the

region, unable to rest. This idea was present in all of the testimonies Nicolás

Rincón Gille had been able to hear. Nelly’s story brought it into focus, allowing

seeing how crucial it really was.

The families who tried to rebuild their lives failed: the constant visits by the

disappeared, their gaze, their smell, their sounds, and their gestures suddenly

appeared in their loved ones’ everyday lives and prevented them from

overcoming their pain. Mourning, so necessary to honor the dead and continue

living, was out of their reach.

ACTIVITIES

• Can you describe the river in the film and its relationship to Jose’s story?

• Try to explain in your own words what the oral tradition means.

• Jose talks sometimes to his children’s souls.How can they help Jose?

• Do you remember what Jose does the first time he enters the cemetery? Why does he do that?

• Which is the relationship between magical beliefs and violence?

Tantas Almas, as well as Rincón Gille’s previous documentaries,

has a thematic and narrative core: oral tradition as a creative element against violence.

When Nelly finished telling her story to the filmmaker, he had the intuition that

this was a theme where the documentary form was clearly limited. To deal with

the theme in all its complexity, it was important to adopt, with them and like

them, their imaginary. And the best way to do this was by building a narrative

that would go into the past, embracing the beautiful possibility offered by

fiction of telling a story as if it were happening for the first time.

Tantas Almas, as well as Rincón Gille’s previous documentaries, has a thematic

and narrative core: oral tradition as a creative element against violence. Not the

academic or learned word. The popular word, enriched by the heritage of

generations that listen to it and repeat it, creating sense to what it was and

what it is. Oral tradition builds a world riche, magic, wonderful and often

surprising. A world and realities that resists to violence.

CONTEXTRELIGIOUS SYNCRETISM

How does Jose defend himself against the violence?

Jose's story is a good example of how popular beliefs are linked to religious

beliefs. We can guess that he is Catholic, because he prays before an altar made

up of different images of virgins and saints, but he also obviously believes in

other expressions of spirituality or the occult. The mixture of elements from

different beliefs is known as religious syncretism. This is a very common event

in Latin America, born from the meeting and coexistence of different cultures

such as European, African and indigenous.

Jose’s spirituality has to do with the oral tradition of the regions where Nicolás

Rincón Gille made his previous documentaries. It is also present in Tantas almas,

but this time as the only "weapons" that peasants and fishermen can wield

against violence and the arsenal of paramilitaries.

Thanks to his experience in the field, the director was able to verify that

popular culture generates its own defense mechanisms. The world of the

"beyond" is present in everyday life. There are thousands of bridges connecting

the living and the dead, and spirituality is fundamental so that the flame of

hope does not go out, which is the key to seeing the world differently and

being able to rebuild.

This religious syncretism evokes the Virgin of Carmen, San Antoine, rituals,

burials, crusaders and elements of worship ... in a word: FAITH ... faith when

justice, mercy or simply humanity are impossible to obtain. This is one of the

thematic axes of Tantas almas: the deep conviction that the dead who do not

benefit from a correct burial become suffering souls and roam restlessly

throughout the region, causing a fisherman to launch out on the river in search

of his sons.

The other developed themes in relation to religious syncretism in the movie are

the following:

The “crusaders”: These are young people who, in order to protect themselves

from the suffering souls who have returned to take revenge on their

murderers, have made pacts with the devil. In the ranks of demobilized

paramilitaries, these “crusaders” could be identified by their black painted

nails. According to general belief, they were the most formidable, but also the

most difficult to capture or kill.

ACTIVITIES

• Ask a member of your family to tell you a story about a mythical being. Write a text or draw a picture about this story.

• Do you know a story or a legend about a river? Can you tell it?

• What specific knowledge does Jose have?

•Do you know people who share the same beliefs as Jose? How are they used?

• What examples of mixtures of beliefs do you know?

• Explain in your own words the religious syncretism.

One of the thematic axes of Tantas almas is Jose's deep conviction that the dead who don’t get a decent burial

become suffering souls and roam restlessly throughout the region.

“Weapons” of protection: Prayers, saints, songs and even scapulars are the

only means of defence with which José, and the families victims of violence,

could face the bullets, becoming thus, and thanks to the oral tradition, real

weapons of protection.

Respect to the deceased: The dialogues of Tantas Almas that have the most

impact on the viewer are those that refer to the ban on recovering bodies,

because, according to their tortures, "the dead must be respected". But in

reality, they wanted to prevent families from burying their loved ones, thus

preventing mourning… Their way to perpetuate fear and prevent the

reconstruction of life.

The missing log: A Macondian scene: where we meet a woman, who lives

downstream from where the bodies of paramilitary victims were thrown into

the mighty waters of the river. This woman keeps a register of the found

bodies, indexing information such as gender, physical characteristics and

particular signs like tattoos. She hopes that, when the time comes, she can

share this memory with people who are looking for their loved ones, so that

they can mourn. Unfortunately, this story, which is part of the film, is drawn

from real life and from the memory of violence in Colombia.

CONTEXTMOURNING

How can one overcome the death of one’s child?

The disappearance of many people in Colombia goes hand in hand with the

armed conflict, the war on drugs and the activities of other criminal groups. The

bodies of these victims, generally without identification, called N.N., are placed

in mass graves in cemeteries, on farms, in vacant lots, in the jungle. In many

cases, it is very rare to be able to identify the victims, whose bodies are often

incomplete; they are sometimes disfigured or burnt, so that even families

cannot recognize them.

The search for a missing loved one can become the single goal of a life, like that

of Jose, and sometimes never materialize, to the point of inheriting it to the

next generation. When you suffer a loss, you can react to it or not. Grief is the

psychological process experienced by the person who reacts to the loss. There

are many reasons for this suffering: death of a person, loss of a job or a

relationship. Furthermore, grief knows distinct phases: non-acceptance of the

loss is the stage of denial; acceptance of the loss is the stage of intense

suffering; and the last step, that of restoration, is the moment when you find

meaning to your life again. Some bereavements are longer than others and

very painful, which partly depends on the circumstances of the loss. Losing a

loved one due to illness is different from losing them unexpectedly because of

murder; in the first case, relatives have the opportunity to prepare, say

goodbye, know what is going on, see the body and bury it; in the second,

relatives wait for the return, without knowing what happened and without

having said goodbye. It will be much more difficult for the bereaved to accept

that their loved one will never return. Failure to grieve, or grieving

incompletely, leads to experiencing natural feelings of loss, such as sadness,

anger and resentment, which will be suppressed. Over time, these untreated

feelings can prevent the person from fully recovering, from leading a normal,

happy life.

ACTIVITIES

• Why do you think Jose is relentlessly looking for his sons’ bodies?

• If you've ever lost a pet, do you remember how you reacted?The words you said, how you felt, your thoughts and feelings the following days?How did you act, how long did the grieving process last?Come to think of it today, what's on your mind today?

• Talk about your experience with a partner or ask someone who went through grieving.

• Think about the steps a grieving person goes through. Describe and explain them.

Mourning as a vital necessity to rebuild life after death is one of the central axes of Tantas Almas, which is

distinguished here by its visual aesthetic in which there is not a single image of explicit violence.

Mourning as a vital necessity to rebuild life after death is one of the central axes

of Tantas Almas, which is distinguished here by its visual aesthetic in which

there is not a single image of explicit violence, but a lot of reflection in the midst

of the natural landscapes of a broken country, as Nicolás Rincón Gille explains:

“Memory depends on the body of the deceased. Without mourning, memories

become omnipresent and the possibility of rebuilding oneself to continue living

is almost impossible. Mass murder, the disappearance of bodies into the rivers,

the prohibition on searching them for burial, was the modus operandi with

which the paramilitary groups subjected the Colombian peasant population. "

Rincón also wonders how a father can overcome the pain caused by the violent

death of his two children. In this case, a simple man, played by the non-

professional actor Arley de Jesús Carvallido, stands for a society who lost

everything, except for the capacity of believing.

CONTEXTSTORIES ABOUT VIOLENCE

The story told in Tantas Almas is not old. It takes place in 2003, a crucial year of

paramilitary violence, long unknown at international level. How did this story

come about?

In the Colombia of the late 1980s, drug lords, landowners, regional politicians

and high-ranking soldiers decided to form right-wing militias to strengthen their

power. Rapidly, under the name of United Self Defense Forces of Colombia

(AUC), these militias began to attack the peasant population and any

progressive civil organization, with the unofficial support of the government

through the president of the time, Álvaro Uribe Velez.

Systematic killings and the horror of survivors ultimately created the largest

internal displacement in the world (9 million people according to the UN). The

lands left behind have been reclaimed by warrior elites who have seen and

continue to see mining and biofuels as juicy business opportunities. No one

could object to such profitability.

The forced displacement of the rural population to urban centres and the

country's capital was one of the main consequences of the war in Colombia.

This, added to the fact that there is a significant difference in wealth between

rural and urban areas, explains why displacement occurs mainly from the

countryside to the city.

ACTIVITIES

• Do you know stories similar to those told in the film?

• How do you think people remember the experiences when their family members were victims of some type of violence?

• What differences do you find between news about violence and films like Tantas Almas?

• What are the moments in the film that refer to violence?Find and list them.

• Why do you think it is important to remember the events linked to violence in the history of a country?

• Why may other stories about violence be necessary?

Jose's story is one of many that aim to raise awareness and memorialize not only the armed conflict in

Colombia, but also the human condition.

Violence and displacement have a strong impact on the people who experience

it. In the first instance, in addition to facing the fear produced by threats made

by armed actors to force them to leave their lands, families must abandon the

space they consider to be their own. This involves leaving behind animals, home

and property. It also forces them to break up with the social circle of friends,

family and neighbours. After a journey to an often-unknown destination, people

must adapt quickly to the change to continue to support their families.

Adapting to the weather, finding a job, establishing a home, new relationships

and friendships are just some of the things they need to do to get your life back

in the new place. This is why many people decide to settle in cities where a

family member or friend can provide support to start this new stage in their life.

Jose's story is one of many that aim to raise awareness and memorialize, not

only the armed conflict, but also the human condition in extreme

circumstances. Although Tantas Almas is a story born in Colombia, in a region

hit by violence and abandonment of the state, which seeks to represent the

paramilitary war instead of explaining it and giving face and name to the

hundreds of missing that have been thrown into rivers, it can be perfectly

understood by audiences from other countries and other cultures. It must be

emphasized that the narration of this type of story about violence builds images

that revive the past to transform the present, to project a future and leave a

collective legacy.

CONTEXTTHE RIVER (MAGDALENA)

For Nicolás Rincón Gille, filming Tantas Almas in an area that had suffered the

violence of the armed conflict and with people close to this context was

essential. The film was shot in April 2018 in the municipality of Simití, south of

Bolívar, on the left bank of the Magdalena river. This town on the edge of the

marsh which bears the same name, is in fact a "paradise" which has suffered a

lot of violence. Indeed, being a fishing village without great economic interests,

it could remain a little isolated but not exempt from poverty.

Although the spectator does not have explicit references allowing him to

identify the place where the film is shot, we gradually recognize the inhabitants

of the villages who live opposite the river. The Magdalena River is perhaps the

most important in Colombia, not only because it crosses the most territory, but

because it has known many changes throughout the history of the country.

This river is a vital source for many populations from south to north. Besides

being a source of food, the river has also been a communication channel of

great importance for several centuries. By browsing the Magdalena, it is

possible to discover different regions of the country whose particularities can

be detected in the landscapes, accents, clothing and customs.

The Magdalena River was also a very important transport axis during the period

of Spanish colonization (1550-1810). In fact, it was the main means of

communication between the port of Cartagena, on the Atlantic coast, and the

centre of the country. Many cities were founded on the banks of this river and

all have a port. Some of the main ones are: Honda, Girardot, Mompox,

Magangué and Barrancabermeja, the closest town to the municipality of Simití.

Unfortunately, climate change, industrial waste and the irresponsible

management of human waste have led to a constant and growing process of

environmental contamination which affects both animal species and the

inhabitants of the banks of the Magdalena River. Consequently, it gradually lost

the importance it had over the centuries spent in the country.

ACTIVITIES

• What characterizes the locations for filming the film?

• What is the main river of your place of residence? What particulars could you mention?

• What other rivers do you know?Where are they located?

• What is life like near a river?

The Magdalena River, as well as many of the country's rivers, have witnessed more than 50 years of armed

conflict in Colombia, and have become massive cemeteries of unidentified bodies.

On the other hand, this river, as well as many rivers in the country, have

witnessed multiple murders and massacres. During more than 50 years of

armed conflict in Colombia, the rivers have become massive cemeteries of

unidentified bodies, where murdered men and women have been thrown to

make their remains disappear. Just as the river carries sticks and other traces of

those who cross it, sometimes people who live in front of the Magdalena tell

how they saw a number of bodies pass.

As paramilitaries advanced in the Magdalena Medio region, it was more and

more common to see bodies going down the river. The war for control of the

territory made the civilian population victims of the atrocities of the conflict, on

both banks and along the river. Relatives of victims of paramilitary violence

believe that armed actors instilled terror as a strategy to occupy the territory

and assert themselves as an authority in the region.

CULTURE & SOCIETYThe following links offer online resources related to the themes of the CONTEXT section.

RELIGIOUS SYNCRETISM

Syncretism (Khan Academy)https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/world-history/ancient-medieval/syncretism/a/syncretism-article

World cartography of religions https://youtu.be/XCQlcYdRoO4

Save your soul. An attempt to photograph what has no explanationhttps://www.lujanagusti.com/salva-tu-alma#12

Syncretism in New Spainhttps://youtu.be/CXsdk6PzR-s

MOURNING

« Reliquaries » : Artistic work about the mourning in the armed conflicthttps://youtu.be/rmkNg6adJEI

Artistic work « Río Abajo »http://www.erikadiettes.com/rioabajo/

Lecture: Memory and mourning in post-conflict contextshttps://youtu.be/AV6GCqYAluU

Photographic exhibition « Requiem NN »http://museodememoria.gov.co/arte-y-cultura/requiem-nn/

The Mother of the Dead - Documentary https://youtu.be/6QxqyTJFf1w

CULTURE & SOCIETYThe following links offer online resources related to the themes of the CONTEXT section.

STORIES ABOUT VIOLENCE

TEDx Talks : Narratives in conflict https://youtu.be/9FMmCopYrn4

« Contra viento y marea » (serious game)http://www.contravientoymarea.org/

Stills about Human displacementhttp://www.featureshoot.com/2016/08/118891/

« Bocas de Ceniza » film directed by Juan Manuel Echavarría https://vimeo.com/103073808

THE RIVER (MAGDALENA)

Magdalena River: Journey in the veins of Colombiahttps://especiales.semana.com/rios-de-colombia/magdalena.html

San Agustín: The mysterious lost civilisation on Colombia's Magdalena River

https://www.wanderlust.co.uk/content/river-of-tombs-magdalena-river-colombia/

Colombie: lancement d'un projet de repeuplement de poissons du fleuve Magdalenahttps://www.enelgreenpower.com/media/news/d/2020/01/magdalena-river-fish-stocking

Contest: The best images of the Magdalena riverhttps://blogs.elespectador.com/actualidad/el-rio/las-mejores-imagees-del-rio-magdalena

Series « Los Puros Criollos » : Magdalena river https://youtu.be/Kp_eqkSl_n4

PRESENTATION OF TANTAS ALMAS Reading of the synopsis and the technical sheet.

VISUALIZATION OF TANTAS ALMAS To watch the film.

CINEMATOGRAPHIC LANGUAGE OFTANTAS ALMASAnalysis of the cinematographic language of the film: what, how, who tells, the point of view.

CONTEXT OF TANTAS ALMAS Analysis of the context of the film.

CULTURE AND SOCIETY OF TANTAS ALMASAdditional resources related to the context of the film.

PEDAGOGICAL ROUTE

You will also find this sheet in the following link

https://www.cinescuela.org/pedagogicos/es/presentacion/tantas-almas--valley-of-souls--221243

/cinescuela.org @cinescuela_org Cinescuela.org 2020