# Willaq Pirqa, the Cinema of My Village

Willaq Pirqa, the Cinema of My Village (whose original title is Willaq Pirqa, el cine de mi pueblo, lit. 'The Wall of Information, the cinema of my town') is a 2022 Peruvian-Bolivian Quechua-language comedy-drama film directed by César Galindo and written by Galindo, Augusto Cabada and Gastón Vizcarra. It tells the story of Sistu, a 13-year-old boy who lives in a community in Cusco, he discovers the magic of cinema, but the language barrier prevents the villagers from enjoying the movies.
The film was selected as the Peruvian entry for Best Ibero-American Film at the 38th Goya Awards, but was not nominated.

## Synopsis

Sistu and his small community in the Andes discover the magic of cinema. This meeting causes a stir but also confronts them with their culture and highlights the limitations of the community to understand and read Spanish. As a solution, they choose Sistu so that every week he goes to town to see a movie and tells it to everyone in the square. One day he finds the canchón empty, the cinema has left... Sistu's illusion of telling the weekly story to the people who are waiting for him, makes him create his own cinema, with his own actors, with his own culture and above all, in your own language.

## Cast

The actors participating in this film are:
* Víctor Acuario as Sistu
* Hermelinda Luján as Mom Simona
* Melisa Álvarez as Lucicha
* Alder Yaurisaca as Florencio
* Cosme Flores as Rolín
* Bernando Rosado as Projectionist
* Juan Ubaldo Huaman

## Production
### Financing and filming

In 2015, the film was a beneficiary of the Economic Stimulus of the Ministry of Culture, in the competition for fiction feature film projects in native languages. The filming began, and it lasted 5 months in Maras and Moray, Cusco.

### Music

Karin Zielinski composed the original soundtrack for the film. Wind, string and percussion instruments such as the Andean violin were implemented. The musicians Rubén Concha (quenas, zampoñas, legüero bass drum, charango and guitar), Andrés Chimango Lares (Andean violin) and María Elena Pacheco (violin) also participated.

## Release

The film had its world premiere on August 4, 2022, at the 26th Lima Film Festival. It was commercially released on December 8, 2022 in Peruvian theaters.

## Reception

Willaq Pirqa, the Cinema of My Village drew 42,000 viewers beginning in its sixth week in theaters and ending that same week with over 50,000 viewers. In its ninth week it drew more than 75,000 viewers. In its tenth week in theaters, it exceeded 80,000 viewers, ending its run with 83,382 viewers after 14 weeks. Becoming the most watched Quechua-language film in Peru.

## Accolades

| Year | Award / Festival | Category | Recipient | Result |
| 2022 | 26th Lima Film Festival | Audience Award for Best Film | Willaq Pirqa, the Cinema of My Village | Won |
| 2022 | 26th Lima Film Festival | Ministry of Culture Jury Award for Best Peruvian Film | Willaq Pirqa, the Cinema of My Village | Won |
| 2022 | 26th Lima Film Festival | PUCP Community Award for Best Film "Made in Peru" | Willaq Pirqa, the Cinema of My Village | Won |
| 2023 | Luces Awards | Best Film | Willaq Pirqa, the Cinema of My Village | Won |
| 2023 | Luces Awards | Best Actor | Víctor Acurio | Won |
| 2023 | Luces Awards | Best Actress | Hermelinda Luján | Nominated |
| 2023 | 14th APRECI Awards | Best Fiction Film | Willaq Pirqa, the Cinema of My Village | Won |
| 2023 | 14th APRECI Awards | Best Director | César Galindo | Won |
| 2023 | 14th APRECI Awards | Best Screenplay | César Galindo, Augusto Cabada & Gastón Vizcarra | Won |
| 2023 | 14th APRECI Awards | Best Actor | Víctor Acurio | Won |
| 2023 | 14th APRECI Awards | Best Supporting Actress | Hermelinda Luján | Won |