Location: Malargüe, Mendoza Province & High Andes, Western Argentina
Overview & Cultural Background
In the arid rain-shadow of western Argentina – spanning the high Andes of Mendoza and Neuquén as well as the high-altitude northern Puna plateau – Argentine transhumant herders (crianceros and Indigenous Andean pastoralists) preserve some of South America’s most demanding seasonal pastoralist traditions. In southern Mendoza and northern Neuquén, crianceros embark twice each year on seasonal droves (arreo), herding large flocks of Criollo goats, sheep, and horses across hundreds of kilometres between lowland winter pastures (invernadas) and alpine summer pastures (veranadas) situated high beneath Andean peaks.
Further north in the high Puna plateau of Jujuy and Salta, Andean pastoralists maintain deep folk-ecological knowledge of fragile rangelands, distinguishing drought-hardy perennial ‘root pastures’ (pasto raíz) from annual ephemeral ‘seed pastures’ (pasto semilla). Riding hardy Criollo horses and supported by skilled herding dogs, pastoral families across western Argentina endure freezing mountain gales, rugged river crossings, and severe isolation, sustaining a pastoral heritage celebrated for its horseback horsemanship, folk music, and production of tender chivito (roast kid goat) and artisanal cheeses.
Key facts
- Estimated Population: Approximately 3,000–5,000 transhumant pastoralist families across western Argentina
- Primary Livestock Herded: Criollo goats (producing renowned chivito meat), Merino cross sheep, Criollo cattle, and Criollo horses
- Contemporary Challenges: Historic multi-year mega-droughts reducing alpine snowpack and runoff, privatization and fencing of customary droving trails (huellas de arreo), land tenure insecurity on state rangelands, and youth migration to urban centres.
Featured Films in the Festival Program
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Arreo 93 min | Argentina | Tato Moreno -
Pasto Raíz, Pasto Semilla (Root Pasture, Seed Pasture) 40 min | Argentina | Mariana Quiroga Mendiola
