The Prophecy of the Lake
Encyclopedia
The Prophecy of the Lake (La profecía del lago) is an unreleased
and lost Bolivia
n silent
feature film, directed by José Maria Velasco Maidana
and completed in 1925.
It was Velasco Maidana's first film, and would have been the second ever Bolivian-made fiction feature released in cinema, just after Pedro Sambarino's Corazón Aymara
(1925). Set in contemporary Bolivia, it was a love story
between an Aymara man and the daughter of a white landowner. Scheduled for release on July 28, it was censored and cancelled by the authorities, due to its "social critique" (highlighting the condition of indigenous Bolivians) and the controversial idea of a white woman falling in love with an indigenous man.
Velasco Maidana subsequently directed Wara Wara
(1930), which was accepted by censors as it reversed the gender roles and moved the setting to the sixteenth century, portraying the love of a conquistador
for an Inca princess. The Prophecy of the Lake is a lost film
, as there are no known copies of it in existence; Wara Wara is "the only known surviving work from Bolivia's silent-film era".
Shelved
In politics, the term can be used for policy drafts, that have never been officially brought into legislation.In the film industry, a film is considered shelved if it is not released for public viewing after filming has started, or even completed....
and lost Bolivia
Bolivia
Bolivia officially known as Plurinational State of Bolivia , is a landlocked country in central South America. It is the poorest country in South America...
n silent
Silent film
A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound, especially with no spoken dialogue. In silent films for entertainment the dialogue is transmitted through muted gestures, pantomime and title cards...
feature film, directed by José Maria Velasco Maidana
José Maria Velasco Maidana
José Maria Velasco Maidana was a Bolivian film director, composer, conductor, actor, painter and dancer.He is known for "his ballets and symphonic works, a number of which embrace national/native themes", but also for his films. He entered the cinema industry "at the very start of Bolivian fiction...
and completed in 1925.
It was Velasco Maidana's first film, and would have been the second ever Bolivian-made fiction feature released in cinema, just after Pedro Sambarino's Corazón Aymara
Corazón Aymara
Corazón Aymara is a 1925 lost Bolivian silent feature film, directed by Pedro Sambarino.It is generally described as Bolivia's first ever fiction feature film...
(1925). Set in contemporary Bolivia, it was a love story
Romance film
Romance films are love stories that focus on passion, emotion, and the affectionate involvement of the main characters and the journey that their love takes through courtship or marriage. Romance films make the love story or the search for love the main plot focus...
between an Aymara man and the daughter of a white landowner. Scheduled for release on July 28, it was censored and cancelled by the authorities, due to its "social critique" (highlighting the condition of indigenous Bolivians) and the controversial idea of a white woman falling in love with an indigenous man.
Velasco Maidana subsequently directed Wara Wara
Wara Wara
Wara Wara is a Bolivian feature film, directed by José Maria Velasco Maidana, combining historical drama and romance. The film was described as a "superproduction" by the press at the time.-Preservation:...
(1930), which was accepted by censors as it reversed the gender roles and moved the setting to the sixteenth century, portraying the love of a conquistador
Conquistador
Conquistadors were Spanish soldiers, explorers, and adventurers who brought much of the Americas under the control of Spain in the 15th to 16th centuries, following Europe's discovery of the New World by Christopher Columbus in 1492...
for an Inca princess. The Prophecy of the Lake is a lost film
Lost film
A lost film is a feature film or short film that is no longer known to exist in studio archives, private collections or public archives such as the Library of Congress, where at least one copy of all American films are deposited and catalogued for copyright reasons...
, as there are no known copies of it in existence; Wara Wara is "the only known surviving work from Bolivia's silent-film era".