El forastero

A stranger arrives in the country from a distant galaxy. He lands somewhere in the Andes near the small town of Paucartambo in Cusco. He comes from an annihilated planet and has been sent in search of a habitable world where his civilization can settle. When the stranger enters into contact with the village people he gradually regains his human condition. He finds love and sex with a prostitute, who is waiting for miracle, he finds a strange mixture of goodness and greed in the village mayor and his family and with the indigenous poet and shaman he grows closer to the bounty, beauty and unfathomable mystery of nature.

Directed by Federico García Hurtado, El forastero leans on a strong ensemble — Nacho Duato, Tania Helfgott, Carlos Sobera — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about screen titles of 2002.