Un ritual de intimidad (2010)

This summer the small South American country of Uruguay developed a higher international profile -at least among those who followed the soccer World Cup in South Africa. But who knows who Uruguayans really are? This short documentary attempts to answer this question by focusing on Uruguayans' perceptions of the ritual of 'mate' drinking and its place in the establishment of Uruguayan Social interaction, identity, and worldview. The ritual provides a space for intimate discussion and reflection, a refuge from the fast pace of modern life, and at least a temporary resistance to the increasingly insistent forces of globalization. Perhaps this is why 'mate' drinking has become more popular among certain well-traveled urban populations in the US.