A spot of Bolivar

Press, 24 December 1985, Page 15

A spot of Bolivar

Judging from the first programme in the “Sweat of the Sun, Tears of the Moon” series, South America is a marvellous place not to inhabit. This suggests a general principle — countries about which fascinating television documentaries can be made are’ best avoided as potential resting places. Judging from bits of Bolivia and chunks of Chile, South America is awful, and the series will be both entertaining and informative. Jack Pizzey is a good presenter and must be a man of some fortitude to have spent a year in South America visiting seven countries. He is easy and competent and asks the right questions. He has the knack of self-effacement without being humble. More important, he does not insert himself between the camera and the object, of its focus, and he listens. This was not the only reason he had immediate appeal. The other was his clothes. Frequently, in series such as this, on every new location, almost minute by minute, the front person is wearing fresh clothes. Even David Attenborough seems to have several pairs of shorts. Not so Pizzey; he preserves continuity. By the end of the programme though, this was giving pause for thought. To make his points, he had obviously dipped into bits of film shot in several countries over several months, and there he was in the same old clobber. People still seemed to speak to him.

So far, South America looks to be an unremittingly crude place. Everywhere looks tatty, even the countryside and the moneyed flesh-pots of Santiago. One of the few ways of gaining solace from grinding work and poverty, massive inflation and rampant authoritarianism, is to have a festival; but even the festivals look and sound dreadful. The view is crowds bf dishevelled people with close set eyes and few teeth, a fair proportion of the women being bearded, which is canning liberation too far. Pizzey gives the impression that South America exists in a state of constant chaos. Military coups are the only answer to the vast confusion generated by primitive politics. But whatever anyone attempts to do, Simon Bolivar seems to have predicted it, or to have had a word for it It is amazing that there should be statues in 14 countries to someone who was so irritatingly accurate as he seemed to be.

The first few minutes of Thursday’s programme did not begin well, with the by now obligatory misty sunset over the water with the pan pq>es honking away, and a few quick guitar bursts. Quickly though, Pizzey bowled us into the ugly poverty of Bolivia, which has had 186 dictators in 100 years. He put their unmanageable economy down to them placing sole Emphasis on tin mining, speaking in a language that ducks personal responsibility (‘The

cup fell from me”) and naming the country after a man who had prophesied a succession of military governments. Or it could all be due to the women wearing black bowler hats.

A very clear picture of Bolivia began to emerge, with an economy that makes New Zealand’s seem to be secure and booming. It is an ideal place to visit from one’s armchair. It was summed up by a visit that Pizzey attempted to make to a national conference. Unionists were to meet to discuss ways in which the military might be ousted from power. Nobody turned up. '

By contrast with Bolivia, Chile seems prosperous, but this is more apparent than real and is only supported by a harsh junta. The country is run by the terror of military tyranny which leaves the rich rich and the poor poor. In Bolivia, things are fairer — everyone is poor.

The only problem with “Sweat of the Sun, Tears of the Moon” is that Pizzey is looking at South America with an English bias, and it does not help that he admits it. Somehow, he is searching for the sort of order and self-discipline to be found in Northern Europe. This may simply be inappropriate. Anywhere that has that many brass bands played by enthusiastically untalented amateurs, must be different But it promises to be a very good series.