El Condor Pasa

Catholic priest Park suffers from guilt for a tragedy that he didn’t cause directly, but whose circumstances are enough of a burden to keep him awake at night. Making contact with the victim’s sister doesn’t help either, although he fully understands and shares her sorrow. Together, they scatter the dead woman’s ashes, but they can’t be a support for each other. When it seems as if there is no way out, Park sets off on a pilgrimage to another continent in the hope of finding relief. This sensitive drama, filmed at a meditative pace, explores countless urgent questions while offering viewers numerous picturesque shots without, however, relying on their innate beauty. At the same time, it is careful not to shock. A contemplative and quiet film with touches of the spiritual, El Condor Pasa shows a similar interest in its main protagonist and his difficult journey as in the director’s previous film Himalaya, Where the Wind Dwells. It isn’t easy to understand this suffering man, but the film’s dreamlike atmosphere makes it possible in other, ultimately more profound ways than that of conventional dramas. (Karlovy Vary International Film Festival)