The Milk of Sorrow

Dir. Claudia Llosa
Starring: Magaly Solier, Susi Sanchez, Efrain Solis, Marino Ballon
Peru, 100 mins.

At the Canadian premiere of Claudia Llosa’s Milk of Sorrow, the audience was taken to Peru, where we encounter a young woman, the aptly-named Fausta (played by Magaly Solier), who suffers from the “milk of sorrow,” an illness passed down from mother to child during the war on terrorism in Peru.

At the start of the film, Fausta’s mother has just passed and she is sent away to be a maid at the home of a wealthy pianist. We also learn that Fausta has placed a potato in her vagina in an attempt to ward off the horrors that had plagued her mother. Rich in symbolism, Fausta trades her gift of song for single pearls from the pianist as she ignores the advances by men while attending gaudy, small-town weddings on the weekends.

The Milk of Sorrow won the Golden Bear for Best Film at the Berlin Film Festival. Solier’s portrayal of the title role is both gentle, timid, and complex, set against the sweeping, desolate landscape of Peru. The audience cannot help but feel connected to Fausta and concerned for her well-being. The Milk of Sorrow is a fascinating allegorical meditation on sadness and the strength of a young woman.