The film “La Teta Asustada” (The Milk of Sorrow) by Peruvian director Claudia Llosa was recently awarded the Golden Bear award at Berlinale, the International Film Festival in Berlin, Germany. The news was well received by the Peruvian media that covers news about film. For example, the blog Cinencuentro [es] has been providing special coverage even before the results of the prize were announced, including posting the trailer [es]. There are also posts about the reaction from the audience, news about the awarding of the prize, as well as video of the press conference [es], reviews of Llosa as a director [es], and news about the film's release in Peru in April [es]. The attention given to the film may provide more support for the Peruvian film industry, something that Elizabeth Lino of Te Voy a Contar [es] thinks is much needed. Guille of Pueblo Vruto [es] is also excited about the prize and thinks that this could provide a boost for Peruvian films, especially those that tell more complex stories including those about the decade of violence across the country. However, the portrayal of life in rural Peru by Llosa and her films, in the shadow of the internal conflict with the Shining Path reopened discussions about this difficult time in Peru's history. Many of the Peruvian bloggers focused on the content of the film and discussed whether or not Llosa is qualified to portray life in the rural Andes. In Cinencuentro [es], Juan José Beteta writes about Llosa's early work called Madeinusa that is set in fictional indigenous village of Manayaycuna. Ya Madeinusa exhibía señales evidentes de su potencial cinematográfico y la capacidad de revelar tanto tendencias ocultas como evidentes en la sociedad peruana, respecto al mundo andino. Quizás haya que recordar aquí el diseño de un personaje que, sin abandonar para nada sus valores culturales y su papel ritual, se las arregla para utilizarlo y liberarse de ciertas cadenas que le impone tal tradición. Por un lado, Llosa pone en escena el mito (apoyado en el trabajo de fotografía, vestuario y ambientación), pero, al mismo tiempo, muestra la capacidad de agencia de una mujer para liberarse y cuestionar un orden social opresivo. (…) Estamos ante un filme que plantea lo políticamente incorrecto junto a lo políticamente correcto, con respecto al mundo andino y al papel de la mujer. De allí que para algunos esa cinta resulte racista y ofensiva, mientras que para otros (y me incluyo) muestra la afirmación de una cultura andina desafiante, en su provocadora ambivalencia (y eso es lo novedoso). The film Madeinusa shows clear signs of her cinematic potential and her capacity to show hidden tendencies of Peruvian society in the Andean world. Maybe one must remember the design of the character who, without abandoning her cultural values or her ritual role, is portrayed and liberated of certain changes that are imposed on tradition. On one hand, Llosa places the myth on stage (supported by the photography, costume and settings), but at the same time, shows the capacity of a woman to liberate herself and question an oppressive social order. (…) We see a film that raises the politically incorrect alongside the politically correct in regards to the Andean world and the role of the woman. From there, for some, this film is racist and offensive, while for others (including me) it shows the affirmation of a defiant Andean culture in its provocative ambivalence (and that is nothing new). The plot of the Milk of Sorrow takes place in Peru after the internal conflict where the Shining Path guerrilla group was involved with violence, especially in the rural areas. The film's main character, Fausta, was born as to a mother who was raped during this rebel violence. Controversy now emerges with a movie, which the majority of Peruvians have not yet seen, from a social or political perspective. For example, Carlos Quiróz of Peruanista [es] does not look favorably upon Llosa or her film: Esta película no se trata de la vida de una mujer andina traumada por la violencia interna en Perú, como Llosa vende el cuento en Europa. Es acerca de mostrar la vida de una pianista limeña muy sofisticada, pseudo educada –y bien blanca- y como ejemplo de superioridad, mostrar a la empleada andina, la pobrecita, sumisa, superticiosa. El discurso del filme habla de simpatía indigenista, pero la imagen grita de una mala intención y de burla malosa, de comparación exagerada haciendo un paralelo entre las vidas de ambas. … como toda folklorista convenida, Claudia Llosa se apropia de las culturas andinas para hacer filmes que impresionen a extranjeros y a ignorantes. A ella no le importan nuestros indígenas peruanos como seres humanos, sino como personajes curiosos y como objeto de burla, de reojo.