Nudo Mixteco

Ángeles Cruz

DISTRIBUTION

drama

Three lives intersect in a Mixtec community in the highlands of the Mexican state of Oaxaca. The Sierra Mixteca—a mountainous region between Puebla and Oaxaca—is also known as the “Nudo Mixteco.” A literal translation of the film’s title could be “Mixtec Knot,” referring to the three intertwining stories.

During the festival of San Mateo, the patron saint of the village of the same name, María, Esteban, and Toña return to their hometown from different directions. María buries her mother, while her father rejects her because of her lesbian relationship. Esteban returns unexpectedly after five years of working in the U.S. thinking he can casually return to his wife, Chabela. And Toña fled to the capital to escape her uncle, who abused her as a child. She later discovered that her young daughter, left behind with her mother, had suffered the same tragic fate.

The three separate stories intersect briefly at various points, coming together to form a mosaic narrative that paints a unique picture of the local culture in which filmmaker Ángeles Cruz herself grew up. Festivities, rituals, and a village assembly that functions as a dispute resolution council together form the fabric of a community that offers protection and security, but whose limitations and dangers are also brought to light through the protagonists’ experiences.

With this impressive feature film debut, filmmaker Ángeles Cruz explores the impact of migration and the difficulties women face in a traditional community. A fascinating portrait of modern rural Mexico, which still remains rooted in the past.

direction: Ángeles Cruz
cast: Noé Hernández, Aída López, Eileen Yáñez, Sonia Couoh, Myriam Bravo, Jorge Doal
duration: 91 min
year: 2021
country: Mexico
language: Spanish
Subtitles: Dutch, French