Directed by Simón Uribe Martínez • Documentary • 2020 • 75 minutes
Deep in the misty jungle of southern Colombia, between treacherously steep mountain slopes, stands an unfinished concrete bridge as an absurd symbol of human folly. Once intended as a link in the new “bypass” that was supposed to replace the perilous old road from Pasto to Mocoa, it’s now a bizarre attraction for day trippers taking selfies and kids doing motorcycle stunts.
In 1991 a devastating landslide hit the old road, known as the “springboard of death”, killing dozens of people. An engineer in his jeep describes the construction of this lethal road back in the 1940s as sheer madness. After all, Catholic missionaries had already found a better route decades earlier.
Local residents view the futuristic design of the new bridge under construction on their laptops. Workers pour concrete in the midst of mud and fast-flowing waters, unaware of the impending doom. It’s as if there’s a conspiracy between nature, politicians and foolish arrogance.
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From The East (Chantal Akerman)
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