Alsino and the Condor (1982): cast, story & where to watch

Released in 1982, Alsino and the Condor is a drama and war film directed by Miguel Littín, running about 89 minutes.

What it’s about. Alsino, a boy of 10 or 12, lives with his grandmother in a remote area of Nicaragua. He's engulfed in the war between rebels and government troops when a US advisor orders the army to open a staging area by the boy's hamlet. Alsino tries to be a child, climbing trees with a girl, looking through his grandfather's trunk of mementos and trying to fly; he goes to town to sell a saddle, has his first drink and is taken to a brothel. But the war surrounds him. The US advisor takes Alsino on a chopper flight, but he's unimpressed. The soldiers' cruelties awake rebel sympathies in Alsino, and after an army assault backfires, the lad is fully baptized into the conflict.

Who’s in it. Alsino and the Condor stars Dean Stockwell as Frank, Alan Esquivel as Alsino, Carmen Bunster as Alsino's Grandmother and Alejandro Parodi as The Major, among others.

How it landed. With an audience score of 5.4/10, Alsino and the Condor has proved divisive with audiences.

Where to watch. Streaming options change often. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch Alsino and the Condor page.

If you liked it. Fans of Alsino and the Condor tend to enjoy The Shawshank Redemption, The Godfather, Schindler's List and The Godfather Part II.