This June, Spectacle is pleased to present Eva Aridjis’s trilogy of documentaries on a few of the marginalized communities in Mexico. LGBT individuals who worship death as a saint, an extended family known as “the wolf people,” and drug-addicted street children in Mexico City are all part of the anthropological fabric which Aridjis uses to survey a social neglect that ranges from the interpersonal to the systemic. The people in these films inhabit the margins of visibility, often sequestered in prisons, shady plazas, circuses, and downtrodden barrios. Aridjis gives them a voice by turning her camera lens on them and allowing them to tell their stories.
Aridjis’s documentary films have been nominated for Mexican Academy awards (Arieles) and have screened at festivals around the world, including Sundance, Los Angeles, Morelia, Sao Paulo, Havana, Edinburgh and more. She has also written and directed two narrative features- THE FAVOR (2006) and THE BLUE EYES (2013). Her six-part docuseries on Mexican-American history- Mexistory- is currently in development. Aridjis will be present for two Q&As to discuss two of the films in this series, SAINT DEATH and CHILDREN OF THE STREET.
SAINT DEATH
(LA SANTA MUERTE)
dir. Eva Aridjis, 2007
84 mins. Mexico.
In Spanish with English subtitles.
MONDAY, JUNE 06 – 10:00 PM
SATURDAY, JUNE 11 – 7:00 PM (Q&A)
In Mexico there is a cult that is rapidly growing- the cult of Saint Death. This female grim reaper, considered a saint by followers but Satanic by the Catholic Church, is worshipped by people whose lives are filled with danger and/or violence- criminals, gang members, transsexuals, sick people, drug addicts and families living in rough neighborhoods. SAINT DEATH takes us on a tour of the altars, jails and neighborhoods in Mexico where the saint’s most devoted followers can be found. Narrated by: Gael García Bernal.
CHILDREN OF THE STREET
(NINOS DE LA CALLE)
dir. Eva Aridjis, 2004
80 mins. Mexico.
In Spanish with English subtitles.
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 01 – 10:00 PM
SUNDAY, JUNE 12 – 7:00 PM (Q&A)
CHILDREN OF THE STREET examines the gritty reality of four children living on the streets of Mexico City. The film follows Marcos, Erika, Antonio and Juan as they get high, visit their families, and struggle to survive in the world’s largest metropolis. CHILDREN OF THE STREET was nominated for two Arieles (Mexican Academy Awards) and won the Best Feature Documentary prize at the Morelia International Film Festival.
CHUY, THE WOLF MAN
(CHUY, EL HOMBRE LOBO)
dir. Eva Aridjis, 2014
94 mins. Mexico.
In Spanish with English subtitles.
SUNDAY, JUNE 05 – 5:00 PM
THURSDAY, JUNE 16 – 7:30 PM
Jesús “Chuy” Aceves and a dozen members of his family suffer from the rare condition of congenital hypertrichosis, or “werewolf syndrome,” meaning they were born with hair on their faces. Due to their appearance, they suffer from discrimination in all areas of their lives. This moving and visually arresting documentary is a portrait of Chuy and his relatives and examines their struggle to find love, acceptance and employment. With an original score by JG Thirlwell, CHUY, THE WOLF MAN screened in movie theaters all across Mexico, was nominated for several prizes and received glowing reviews.