For all its otherworldly beauty, “Utama” could benefit from slightly more robust dramatic beats to complement the hyper-sensorial experience that imbues in the spectator, especially in addressing the displacement of Indigenous communities across the Americas and beyond.
What are people saying?
What are critics saying?
75
83
The Playlist by Gregory Ellwood
Admittedly, Utama is a simple story, but one that packs an emotional punch without endless exposition or symbolism.
80
The Hollywood Reporter by Jordan Mintzer
Utama is very much a pessimistic film, never shying away from the realities faced by those who still inhabit the highlands of Bolivia. And yet it’s also convincingly, and sometimes movingly, optimistic.
90
[A] sublime, quietly elegiac feature debut.
80
Through the love story at the heart of this visually arresting feature debut, Utama offers the audience a relatable connection with a way of life which is on the verge of extinction.