Ali Ryder presents a new series of articles, Peru at the Movies. Not all are very well known, not all have made huge amounts of money at the box office… but did you know there are dozens of films that either take place in or heavily feature Peru? Some are locally produced by Peru’s independent film industry, some are products of Hollywood, but each in some way revolves around the very special country that is Peru. Get planning your Peruvian movie nights!

The Emperor’s New Groove, 2000, Disney

By Ali Ryder

The story is about a young Emperor named Cuzco, who gets turned into a llama by his evil advisor.  He must enlist the help of a peasant, Pacha, to get himself turned back into a human and back into the palace. It’s a cute movie that really doesn’t have a lot to do with Peru other than the background artwork and the setting, but it is funny and a bit different from most other animated Disney movies. For starters, it’s not a musical. It is, however, definitely worth watching!

The Emperor’s New Groove is a Disney movie, and as such I didn’t exactly have high hopes for accuracy, remembering all too well how badly Indiana Jones went. However, I was pleasantly surprised with how heavily influenced by the Incas the movie was.  The story itself could have been set anywhere, but the background art was very clearly Inca in style, although to an untrained eye it may not look that way. Here is a comparison between artwork from the movie and actual Inca artwork:

I, for one, am very impressed.

Read reviews and a detailed plot line here.

Tags: disney, hollywood, Peru at the Movies