Mercedes Sosa, the Voice of Latin America

The death of Argentine folksinger Mercedes Sosa in 2009 meant Latin America lost a great voice – not just her characteristic singing voice, but also her courageous voice of protest. She was the people's heroine. As a member of Manifesto del Nuevo Cancionero [The New Songbook Manifesto], she risked her own life to embolden her fans, many of whom were oppressed and disadvantaged. She received many death threats and was even exiled by the military regime in the 1980s, but she never forgot her fans and her people. In this extensive portrait of Sosa – the woman, the singer, the activist – director Rodrigo H. Vila follows her son Fabian as he explores his mother's legacy, talking to relatives, friends and fellow musicians about her private life and musical career. Together with them, he travels the world visiting places that were important to the singer, who died of kidney failure at 74. The emotional stories related by the interviewees and Fabian himself are complemented by Mercedes's own account, drawn from the many interviews she gave throughout her career. This multilayered film is further enriched with personal photographs and archive recordings of Sosa's concert performances, which were legendary in many ways. (International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam)