// Presented as part of January's New South American Cinema Series //
Julia Vargas / 2015, Palm Springs, AFI, Chicago, Ekurhuleni, Gramado, Havana, Lima, International Film Festival of India, Marbella / 107'
In 1995 several cargo containers are discovered high in the Bolivian Andes. Inside are potentially toxic chemicals, and local policeman Mariscal soon becomes charged with the task of smuggling the containers into neighboring Chile. He recommissions an old train to haul the toxic waste out of Bolivia, but encounters one mishap after another, beginning with the local townspeople who know what's inside, halting the train's path.
Based on true events, Carga Sellada premiered at Havana, Palm Springs and the International Film Festival of India, where it won a Special Jury Prize. Julia Vargas' third feature was selected as the Bolivian entry for the Foreign Language Academy Award, but it was not nominated.
Trailer
Interview
In an exclusive interview with Filmatique, Julia Vargas discusses humor, ecology, indigenous representation in the Bolivian government and her next project.
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Press
"Bolivia's Oscar submission is a buoyant seriocomedy about a top-secret train that turns into a national scandal"
- Dennis Harvey, Palm Springs Review, Variety
"Viewers will take away the film's bouncy, scattergun criticism of the global waste trade, in a culture in which third-world countries are willing to be paid to be the dumping grounds for first world trash, however toxic it may be. Cargo deserves to be delivered to festivals with an eye on the ecological"
- Jonathan Holland, Film Review, The Hollywood Reporter
"Julia Vargas-Weise's third feature is a lively rejoinder to that country's status as a dumping ground for the world’s industrial waste. Rich in symbolism and in spirit, Sealed Cargo is a terrific ride through the seldom-seen Altiplano... Based on the real events that took place in 1994 when 400 tons of toxic waste were transported through Bolivia, Sealed Cargo delivers a crucial and current message about the global waste crisis that highlights its relevance"
- Film Profile, Palm Springs Film Festival
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