5th Indian Video Festival of Michoacan

Indigenous Filmmakers Look to Break Down Barriers in Mexico

By Juan Ramon PeñaIndigenous filmmakers in Mexico face more obstacles than most in bringing their projects to the big screen, but they also say that showcasing their work in forums such as the 5th Indian Video Festival of Michoacan is an opportunity to document the lives of their communities, shatter stereotypes and battle discrimination.

The goal of the festival, which will feature 17 films “in competition” as well as roughly 40 documentaries, is to provide a space for indigenous peoples to “communicate their experiences, their deprivations, (and do so) through their own worldview,” the coordinator of the event, Manuel Gameros of the National Commission for the Development of Indigenous Peoples, told Efe Friday.

“El juego de los diablos” (The Devils’ Game), “Guerreros chichimecas” (Chichimeca Warriors), “Newa notchipa Nimisnekis” (I’ll Love You More Every Day) and “Ix tasana tiyat” (The Weeping of the Land) are some of the titles in competition at this year’s festival, which will run from Aug. 24 to Aug. 28 in the southwestern state of Michoacan.Comment:  For more on the subject, see Native Documentaries and News.