La teta asustada (The Milk of Sorrow) 2009

Fausta is suffering from a rare disease called the 'Milk of Sorrow', which is transmitted through the breast milk of pregnant women who were abused or raped in times of terrorism in Peru during or soon after pregnancy. While living in constant fear and confusion due to this disease, she must face the sudden death of her mother. She chooses to take drastic measures to not follow in her mother’s footsteps.

Curators' note

Between 1980 and 1992 Peru experienced a period of extreme violence because of the uprising of the Maoist group Sendero Luminoso and the actions of the paramilitary and state armed forces. By 1990 the conflict reached Lima, the capital of Peru. Llosa’s film refers to the folk belief that the trauma experienced by women who are raped by members of security force was passed on to their children through their breast milk. A psychological and sociological approach to the 12 years of conflict and is critical of the mass rapes used by the army as a strategy of war. 

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Directed by Claudia Llosa, Peru/Spain 2009. Runtime 95 mins