The title of this movie comes from a custom practiced by native Bolivians - that is, the folks who lived there a few hundred years ago, before the Spaniards took over and ruined their fun. Sirwiñakuy involved a woman “shacking up” with a man who “kidnapped” her as a method of trying out a living arrangement before the formalities of marriage took place. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn't. Some trace elements of Sirwiñakuy survived to the present. This modern-day story centers on the adventures of Anouk (Veronica Paintoux) and Luis (Jac Avila), who meet by chance at a small café in La Paz, Bolivia.

From the beginning, Luis demonstrates that he is a man of few words and he expects to be in control. After the couple briefly exchange pleasantries Luis says, “Shall we go?” He does not hold Anouk’s hand, but grabs her around the wrist, like a shackle.

Then when they pass through the outer gate to the apartment complex, Luis throws Anouk’s keys back over the gate, which locks them out as it slams shut. Anouk has effectively been “kidnapped”. So off they go to Anouk’s apartment. “Pack,” says Luis. “Pack what?” says Anouk. He begins to round up some items of her clothing that are strewn around and puts them in her bag.

Luis does not bark orders or raise his voice when he speaks. He simply makes statements, and anticipates that Anouk will do as he wishes. She seems a bit taken aback by this behavior but goes along with it.

At Luis’ place, they have a small snack with their conversation. Luis objects to the way Anouk chews her food with her mouth open. He asks her how she was punished as a child when she misbehaved. She tells him that she was spanked. So he says that he will spank her for her bad manners. And he does so, with the palm of his hand, after telling her to get on the floor and bare her butt.

Next morning at breakfast, Anouk doesn't fare any better. Luis makes her ask for everything (instead of just reaching for it) and she dutifully says “Thank you”, although she does not exhibit much sincerity. After breakfast, Luis tells her she has misbehaved and must be punished. He bends her over a small table in the living room, removes his belt, and thwacks her hard with it several times. The force of the blows is enough to elicit loud groans and make her say “Shit!” (“Merde!” in French). When Luis goes to work, Anouk inspects the damage.

She decides to take a shower. While in the shower, she begins to massage her sore ass with one hand. Then she uses the other hand to massage her tits and muff. This is the first indication we get that the brutality is getting Anouk off.

Since Anouk is French, Luis decides to give her a temporary job at his business doing translation work. One day, while Anouk is having lunch alone at the café Geoff (Erik Antoine), a former college classmate of hers, recognizes her and joins her at the table. He marvels that she still looks the same since he last saw her 10 years ago. Geoff, on the other hand, has been married, had two children, and divorced during the same time.

Later, Luis tells Anouk that he is not satisfied with her child-like appearance (blue jeans and ponytail); her problem is she refuses to grow up. He buys her a new wardrobe, and sets to deciding what she should wear every day and how she should wear her hair. They go out to dinner, Anouk sporting her “new look” and improved table manners. When they return to Luis’ apartment, Luis expresses pleasure with her good behavior and tells her he will reward her. The reward is to cuff her wrists behind her, bend her over the bed and ream her from behind.

Luis and Anouk take a trip to the hills high above La Paz to check out what must be the world’s biggest open-air flea market. Luis inspects some whips and chooses one that is fairly short and has three prongs. To test it, he pulls Anouk’s hand out, palm up, and thwacks her. Yes, that’s the one.

When they get home, Luis begins playfully swatting at Anouk with the whip. But she'll have none of it, and tries to take evasive action. Finally, she grabs the whip, yanks it from Luis’ grasp, and runs to another part of the house.

We don't see what happens next, but the evidence appears the next morning, when the sleeping Anouk presents her bare back and butt, displaying whip marks.

Oh my. What a vision of beauty this is.

On another occasion, Luis takes Anouk to the home of one of his co-workers, who is out of town, to feed his cat. The two start to get jiggy and Luis exposes Anouk in the bedroom window, presumably in full view of passers-by on the street below.

It’s been a week since Anouk met Geoff, and they have lunch together. This time he is shocked at how much she has changed. She explains, “I've grown up,” but Geoff is not pleased about Luis’ sudden and extensive influence on her appearance and behavior. He wants Anouk for himself, the way she was. Luis comes home with a bunch of roses and it appears that he is going to romance Anouk. As he sits in a chair, Anouk sprawls across his lap. He opens her robe to expose her loveliness and sets the roses across her thighs. Then he unwraps the roses, takes them one at a time, and presses each one against her chest so that the thorns draw blood.

Anouk protests, “You don't know how to love me; you only want to hurt me.”

She walks out, wearing only her robe and a coat, but dragging one of those luggage-on-wheels things. At first she goes to see Geoff. He is appalled when he spots the wounds on her chest.

Geoff offers to put her up for the night, but Anouk decides on another plan. She checks into a hotel. There she cleans herself up and, fully naked, stretches out in full view of downtown La Paz.

Is this the end of Sirwinakuy for Anouk and Luis? Or will these two crazy kids get back together again? You know I'm not going to tell.

Once again I am thoroughly impressed by Veronica Paintoux’s talent. She has a slender, willowy figure and an aristocratic visage, yet she slips comfortably and subtly into the role of a character who is unsophisticated and uncertain. The interaction between her and Jac is very natural, as if they have worked together for years. Amy Hesketh’s writing and direction are coherent and the editing is parsimonious; there are no wasted scenes, words or shots. As a movie, this easily earns a B.

During the closing credits, there is a little bonus for the viewer: an amusing outtake showing Amy suffering for her art once again, as she provides some coaching to her cast on the proper way to slap someone in the face.

But don't look for any Merciless Peril here. The scenes of punishment/violence are all consensual – Anouk is free to walk away from the relationship. So in fairness, I cannot give this movie a GIMP grade, because there is no GIMPage.