MEET THE FAMILY…
CARMEN - THE MOTHER
Both of her parents were orphans and she grew up thinking she had schizophrenia and never thought she would become a shaman. She travelled throughout South American with her theatre company and she finally settled in Peru 15 years ago. While researching for one of her plays, she met the “maches” (witches from Chile) who anointed her as a medicine woman. After this meeting with the “maches”, Carmen started having lots of dreams, which developed into real situations and strange coincidences. She met Sergio, her husband, as predicted in one of the recurrent dreams, and they both moved to the mountains of the lower Peruvian Amazon where they lived alone with the kids for five years. She lost a baby while living in the Amazon but she also had her best experiences there, which makes her smile every time she talks about it.
SERGIO - THE FATHER
He is a complicated character, someone that you want to love, but it’s not easy to do so. He is devoted to his children, spends time complimenting, and teaching them, yet does not do the same for his wife. Sergio partly depends financially on her and is continually trying to impart his ideas on to her. He grew up thinking he was crazy and never thought he would become a medicine man. He developed scepticism for Western medicine early on in life as his younger sister was born with Cerebral Palsy due to medical negligence. Tragically after 21 years of life in bed, she died due to a further medical negligence. Sergio won’t give Paracetamol (Acetaminophen) to his children, but they are all well instructed in the use of magic mushrooms and other medicinal plants. Sergio discovered ayahuasca when he was 21, and a few years later, he became a disciple of the shaman Lucho Romero, his maestro. He spent seven years with Lucho in the Amazon, where he did 42 different mono diets to learn and understand plants’ secrets. He is currently an artist and only heals other people when strictly necessary.
VALENTIN (16)
He’s aloof and struggles as a rebellious teenager to find himself. He argues about the trip and the locations where the family stops and is continually reminding the family that he is superior whenever he is awake. Yet, at times acts like a baby. He remembers the moment when he discovered electricity and that’s why he prefers life in the city than in the Amazon. He wants to become a UFC fighter, but spends most of his time playing Fortnite. He dropped out of school with his mother’s consent and against Sergio’s wishes, and wastes his time as he spends his days smoking weed and chilling in his room.
ANTU (13)
Antu is hypersensitive. He is quiet and loves classical music. Antu would like to be a pianist one day but is increasingly becoming addicted to his phone, which has been confiscated. Although he loves his dad, he secretly despises his parents’ hippie lifestyle, and he makes dark jokes about their beliefs when he can. Antu knows he won’t ever be a shaman.
LUA (10)
Lua, is the heart of the film. She is the most composed and demonstrates that it is possible to balance
the ideals her parents want to install in her and modern life. She already thinks she is a witch and knows she can’t tell her friends. Lua is witty, brilliant, and will make you laugh as you experience her unexpected comments about her parents’ choices. She is brave enough to tell her parents what she thinks of them, questions their chaotic lives, and sometimes her stare is so powerful it causes you to draw back and pull away the camera lens.
