The story of Ernesto Pimentel’s life, raised humbly after losing his mother, inspires him to create the iconic character La Chola Chabuca, an Andean figure who captivates all of Peru with her colourful skirts and high spirits.

Chabuca

During the COVID-19 lockdown in Lima, Ramón, a gay man in his thirties, receives the ashes of his estranged father. Unable to hold a funeral, he sets out to return the remains to his father’s native village of Mito. Along the way, he meets Mateo, a striking traveler grounded by the pandemic. Despite curfews, masks, and distancing, an unexpected bond forms. They dance, laugh, and grow attuned to each other’s presence, their closeness charged with quiet intimacy and unspoken possibility. As they journey into the Andean highlands, Ramón is drawn not only to Mateo but also to a deeper confrontation with grief, memory, and the hope of healing.