In light of the this year’s Nobel Peace Prize being awarded to Colombian President Juan ManuelSantos, even though voters in Colombia narrowly rejected the government’s peace deal withFARC rebels – the story of the country’s FARC rebels is more important than ever. Their history is mired with political strife, cocaine crops, CIA involvement and Colombian state corruption. Regardless of your stance on this issue, this beautifully shot film offers a rare glimpse into their world and its women fighters surviving in the the country’s remote rainforests.
Fine Art of Reconciliation: Colombia’s rebel women: beauty, babies and battle in the rainforest
“The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia—People’s Army a.k.a. FARC-EP has been fighting the government since 1964. Their home is in the Colombian rainforest, in areas often only accessible by the Amazon River. To avoid being ambushed by the army, they constantly move their camps, only occasionally stopping at local villages to pick up provisions.
Women in the FARC who get pregnant are forced by necessity to give their babies to their civilian relatives: rainforest camps are no place to raise children. They often prefer to continue their revolutionary struggle over motherhood. It will mean that female rebels who have been with the FARC for 15-20 years will finally be able to come home and see their children.”
Runtime: 51 min
Written and Directed by Nikita Sutyrin
RT Documentary (2016)
