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Willy Farfan
20 years old
When we met Willy for the first time in 1988, he grabbed our attention immediately. This kid was full of energy and mischief. He had his own sling shot, several scars on his face, was considered by his fellow street buddies as a smoker and a drinker and was only eight years old. Ironically enough, Willy only spent a brief moment with us in 1988. Two days after meeting him, he was picked up by the police in a round up and spent the next 10 days in a youth detention centre. Upon our return in 2000, we return to the same detention centre and find out that Willy is still registered in the books for crimes such as theft and drugs ! Our search to find him becomes a story within the film since we only manage to track him down at the very end of our journey. Along the way, we find out many things about him. The most significant is that Willy, now 20 years old is still living and hustling on the streets.
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Carlos Farfan
24 years old
It may seem hard to believe but Carlos is the one kid who seems to have changed the most. And sadly, it's for the worst. When we met him, he was a bright eyed kid who loved to play and had an openess to everything around him. Now, 12 years later, Carlos looks like a man worn down by poverty and the challenges of life. His face scarred by fights, his home a dirt floor, one room shack in one of Cusco's poor neighbourhoods. He has no working papers, a wife with two kids and
a drinking problem like his father. Within the first minutes of talking with Carlos after not seeing him for 12 years, he tells us he doesn't want to be in the film. He tells us he doesn't want people around the world to see how he's living. This situation raises serious questions that neither of us were prepared to answer. Later in the film, Carlos brings up a second major issue and confronts us again. An issue that has its roots in our first shoot together 12 years ago. Despite the controversy, Carlos remains a decent man who happens to play the drum with a local band in Cusco.
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Angel Yapura
24 years old
Angel was one of the most talented kids we met during our first shoot in 1988. He loved to perform and sing songs. He was also the oldest of the gang at 12 and seemed to have acquired a lot of experience from his days living and working on the streets. It's not too surprisng then, to find out upon our return that Angel is now an accomplished singer-guitarist. He performs regularly with his group in restaurants and bars in Cusco. He's also married and has reconciled with his parents who live on a farm 30 kilometres outside Cusco. On one level, Angel is surely the most fortunate of the three boys in the film and has managed to make something out of his life. On our visit to the family farm, his mother touches on a very difficult subject - alcohol and how it has destroyed the lives of many around her. For Angel, this becomes a storyline within the film and an important theme in his relationship with us.
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Sonia Najarro Quispe
20 years old
When we met Sonia for the first time, we had the impression she carried a world of burdern on her shoulders. Often timid and quite unsure, Sonia obviously had a lot to handle as a ten year old girl working at night to help her mother and younger siblings. When asked what made her the saddest, she would say her mother and what she goes through. In many ways, being the eldest in a family of seven kids, has forced Sonia to grow up quickly and be responsible. When we met her 12 years later, we were surprised to see the change and evolution. A warm smile, neatly dressed and self-confident. We would have never imagined it possible. Of the four kids, Sonia seems to be the only one to have dealt with her troubled past by looking at it straight in the eyes and deciding to move onwards and forwards. Our search to find her is also a wonderful tale and results in a truly warm and emotional moment for us all.
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Produced by
Robbie Hart & Luc Côté
with the participation of
THE CANADIAN TELEVISION FUND CREATED BY THE GOVERNMENT OF CANADA AND THE CANADIAN CABLE INDUSTRY:
TELEFILM CANADA - EQUITY INVESTMENT PROGRAM & CTF - LICENCE FEE PROGRAM
TAX CREDIT PROGRAM FOR CINEMA AND TV - SODEC
GOVERNMENT OF CANADA - TAX CREDIT PROGRAM
in collaboration with
Radio Canada, Vision TV, TFO-TVOntario & SCN TV
Directed by:
Luc Côté & Robbie Hart
Director of Photography:
Rénald Bellemare
Sound:
Chantal Rhéaume
Music:
Daniel A. Vermette
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