AllMovie

Filmmaker Esteban Larrain offers a dramatic interpretation of a real-life event in this offbeat drama from Chile. Alicia (Alicia Esquival) was just thirteen years old when she began her journey from the small town of Soniquera to the large city of San Pedro de Atacama in 2004. Once upon a time, such journeys were a common part of a youngster's growth to maturity, but as Alicia set out to cover the more than 110 miles on foot, her goal was a more pragmatic one -- she was looking for work to help support her family. As Alicia spent a week trudging across the desert flats and chilly mountains of Chile, her friends and family continued their efforts to make something of their lives in Soniquera, and in Alicia en la Pais (aka Alice In The Land), Larrain cuts back and forth between the young woman's difficult journey and scenes from the life she hopes to move beyond. Alice In The Land received its North American premiere at the 2008 Montreal World Film Festival.