The Milk of Sorrow

“Fausta, the only daughter of an aged indigenous Peruvian mother, is said to have been nursed on ‘the milk of sorrow.’ This accursed designation is bestowed on the children of victims of the former terrorist regime. Fausta has learned of her mother’s past and her own presupposed fate through invented song, which is both an art form and oral history tradition. Upon her mother’s death, she must venture beyond the safety of her uncle’s home and choose whether or not to [use] her gift of song so that she can pay for a proper burial. Llosa and Braier capture the striking beauty of Lima’s outskirts . . . with dignity and grace” (Film Society of Lincoln Center). For cinematographer Natasha Braier, “the script was highly visual. [Llosa] likes poetic images, symbolism, to create a special universe.”