Bolivia has announced that the social drama Own Hand /Mano propia, the third feature by actor-writer-director Rodrigo “Gory” Patiño, will be the country’s official entry for Best International Feature at the 97th Academy Awards. This marks the second time Patiño will represent the South American nation at the Oscars, following his 2018 submission with The Goalkeeper / Muralla.
Own Hand, which opens in Bolivian theaters tomorrow, September 19, is a social drama based on real events that addresses the issue of lynchings in the country, portraying a violent incident from 2013. The film is adapted from the award-winning chronicle Tribes of the Inquisition by journalist Roberto Navia, which had a profound impact on Patiño and inspired him to bring the story to the screen.
Starring Alejandro Marañón and Freddy Chipana, Own Hand follows the tragic events in the Tropics of Cochabamba, where a crowd executed a group of people wrongly accused of stealing a truck. Though the film is set in a fictional town, the problem of lynchings remains relevant in Bolivia, with a recent similar episode occurring in the very square where the original events took place.
The film aims to create a space for dialogue and reflection on social justice in Bolivia, encouraging change both at the highest levels of power and within the viewers' own communities.
Although Bolivia has submitted 17 films for the International Feature category since 1995, the country has yet to secure a nomination.
