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“Because sisterhood isn't something you just talk about, you execute it”: Francisca Siza's LAS HIJAS DEL MAGUEY Presented at 22nd FICM

Alan Rodríguez

As part of the outdoor activities of the 22nd edition of the Morelia International Film Festival (FICM), Francisca Siza's Las hijas del maguey was screened at the Plaza Benito Juárez in Morelia's Historic Center.

The screening was presented by the film's executive producer Yolanda Ruiz, who was accompanied by Claudia Castañuela, Magdalena Aguilar and part of the team that makes up the network Mujeres del Mezcal y Maguey de México, which promotes the international visibility of producing communities and regions in the country. The documentary shows the story of a group of women who decided to break the male monopoly on the production of agave distillates.

Recognizing their own value and the benefits of working together, they joined forces to ensure that Mexico's producers and rural communities get a fair share of what mezcal represents as an economic boom while preserving tradition and respecting the environment.

Yolanda Ruiz spoke about the importance of this project for women: “This issue of distillates, the vast majority associate it with men and it gives me great pride to see that these women can sell and export at a fair price [...]. I thank these women for their sorority because sisterhood isn't something you just talk about, you execute it”.

Claudia Castañuela invited the audience to promote the ideas and initiatives of friends and family members. At the end of the film, part of the team that makes up Mujeres del Mezcal y Maguey de México shared what it meant to have participated in making this documentary.

Las hijas del maguey has toured and won several awards on the festival circuit, including Best Documentary at the Puerto Aventuras International Film Festival, and Best Film on Gender Equality, Issues and Rights at the Kiez Film Festival in Berlin.