Mamani in El Alto

Mamani in El Alto

Architecture as Autobiography

Photography and beyond – Part 35

The film shows numerous choletts of the Bolivian civil engineer, architect and founder of neo-Andean architecture Freddy Mamani Silvestre.

Films by Heinz Emigholz
GER 2022 – 95 minutes
DCP, 5.1, no Dialog

Director and Screenplay: Heinz Emigholz
Camera: Heinz Emigholz, Till Beckmann
Local Management Bolivia: Angel Cordero
General Assistance Bolivia: Konrad Schlaich
Original Sound Recording: Ueli Etter
Music Pieces: Andreas Reihse
Editing: Till Beckmann, Heinz Emigholz
Sound Design and Mixing: Christian Obermaier, Jochen Jezussek
Post-production: Till Beckmann
Production Assistant: Anna Bitter, Viviana Kammel
Producers: Frieder Schlaich, Irene von Alberti
Production: Filmgalerie 451

Thanks to Freddy Mamani Silvestre, Arno Brandlhuber, Rene Callisaya, Alejandro Chino, Victor Choque, Angel Cordero, Marcelo Guardia Crespo, Lidia Rojas, Rene Rojas and all other Cholet Owners

The civil engineer and architect Freddy Mamani Silvestre (*1971), has designed more than 60 building projects in the Bolivian city of El Alto since 2008, which mock the norms of a formulaic modern architecture shaped and enforced with global aspirations by the Bauhaus.
Mamani comes from a humble background and belongs to the Aymara people. His self-taught architecture is a counter-utopia that grew out of local usages and opens up a view of preferences other than sparseness and global stylistic adherence.
The film shows many of the “cholets” he built with their magnificent ballrooms in their urban setting. Mamani became the founder of neo-Andean architecture.

The filming took place in August 2021 in Bolivia.

Stills: