Watching: Gambote

Overview

“Rosa, why do we look at the sky so much?” Irineo asks his wife. The clay-rich mountains of the Chuquiago Valley, on the slopes of the city of La Paz, Bolivia, are transformed into bricks every day. Grinding, mixing, pressing, drying, and firing are some of the tasks Rosa and Irineo carry out as part of their daily routine making gambote, a particular type of brick. As they work, we share in the intimacy of their everyday lives. A portrait of an ancient craft and of the importance of looking at the sky.