Burning Land

Northern Colombia has its own version of bullfighting, with its own festival called the corraleja. The venue for this popular public spectacle is an arena built from scrap wood, where the cattle farmer with the highest prestige in the region lets his most dangerous bulls loose on a bunch of daredevils.

The buildup to the festival is brought to the screen with real cinematic flair, in condensed form and without commentary. Monchi is the rather stiff but successful breeder with a cabinet full of prizes. We see his animals being herded to the cattle shed. From there, a cattle truck transports them to the arena, where we hear the rousing sounds of a brass band. The beautifully edited shots give a detailed impression of the cruel, chaotic and primal spectacle itself—especially its audience: faces filled with joy or concern, hip-swaying girls, children at play, a red-painted devil who appears out of nowhere, and the ever-flowing rum.