Written & Directed by Álvaro Olmos Torrico
A striking new work of Latin American cinema arrives this fall with THE CONDOR DAUGHTER (La Hija Cóndor), opening September 11 in New York City and September 18 in Los Angeles, followed by a national rollout throughout National Hispanic Heritage Month.
THE CONDOR DAUGHTER (La Hija Cóndor) arrives following an extraordinary festival run, beginning with its Centerpiece Screening at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival and continuing through major wins across Latin America. The film earned Best Film at the Biarritz Latin American Film Festival, while its two leads were honored with Best Actress awards at both the Málaga Film Festival and the Guadalajara International Film Festival, cementing Álvaro Olmos Torrico’s work as one of the year’s most celebrated achievements in contemporary Indigenous and Latin American cinema.
Synopsis
Directed by Álvaro Olmos Torrico, THE CONDOR DAUGHTER tells the story of Clara, a teenager growing up in a small Indigenous community high in the Andes. Raised by her adoptive mother — a midwife who took her in as a baby — Clara has inherited the ancient songs used to guide women through childbirth, melodies passed down for generations and believed to protect new life.
But while her voice carries tradition, her dreams reach beyond the mountains. Clara longs to leave her rural home and become a folkloric music star in the city, torn between cultural legacy and the promise of a future she has never seen.
Director’s Statement
During a journey through the Bolivian Andes, I met a Quechua midwife — the last in her region. Over time, I visited her regularly, learning to communicate through glances and gestures. When she passed away, I understood the profound role traditional midwives play in rural communities: they safeguard cultural values, spiritual practices, and generational knowledge.
“La Hija Cóndor” was filmed in her community, among the same mountains she walked. Writing this film became a journey of research and reconnection — a story about time, gazes, sound and silence, countryside and city, life and death.
Working with Nicolás Wong Díaz as cinematographer was essential. His delicate chiaroscuro — the light filtering through windows, the textures of skin, the intimacy of birthing scenes — captured the soul of what I wanted to express.
I also honor the cast of non‑professional actors, especially the two protagonists. They had never acted before, yet faced emotionally demanding scenes with courage and authenticity. Their work inspires us to collaborate with them again.
— Álvaro Olmos Torrico
Film Details
- Title: THE CONDOR DAUGHTER (LA HIJA CÓNDOR)
- Year: 2026
- Runtime: 109 minutes
- Language: Quechua & Spanish with English subtitles
- Color
Cast
- Ana: María Magdalena Sanizo
- Clara: Marisol Vallejo Montaño
- Beatriz: Nely Huayta
- Flora: Alisson Jimenez
- Dionisia: Gregoria Maldonado
Crew
- Writer & Director: Álvaro Olmos Torrico
- Producers: Álvaro Olmos Torrico, Cecilia Sueiro Mosquera, Diego Sarmiento Pagán, Federico Moreira, Iris Sigalit Ocampo Gil
- Executive Producer: Aniceto Arroyo
- Director of Photography: Nicolás Wong Díaz, CCR
- Editors: Álvaro Olmos Torrico, Irene Cajías
- Sound: Federico Moreira
- Production Design: Ivan Siácara
- Costumes: Analía Peñaloza
- Music: Cergio Prudencio
