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Committing to the Realities We Represent: Second Conversation of the Indigenous Peoples Forum 2025

Omar Sosa

The second conversation of the Indigenous Peoples Forum, Del territorio a la pantalla: diversidad en el documental indígena contemporáneo (From the Territory to the Screen: Diversity in Contemporary Indigenous Documentaries), took place during the 23rd Morelia International Film Festival (FICM).

Filmmaker Concepción Vásquez, director of Mujer de barro; Yovegami Ascona Mora, director of Boca Vieja (2025); and Ángel Froilán Flores Martínez, director of Los que dicen ¡No! (2025), shared their experiences in producing the projects.

Boca Vieja and Los que dicen ¡No! are in the Mexican Documentary competition, while Mujer de barro is part of the Mexican Documentary Short Film competition. 

When discussing their work, something central to all three documentaries came to light: they are situations that directly affect the directors in their daily lives. Concepción Vásquez pointed out that Mujer de barro is a film that tells the story of her mother, Rufina, an Ayuujk potter. Through resilience, the search for freedom, and the fight against machismo, she found in the story a way to represent herself and the community in which she grew up.

Yovegami Ascona Mora said that from the moment he began developing his idea, he knew that Boca Vieja had to be a dignified portrait of the people who surrounded her during his childhood. He even made sure that creative and narrative decisions, such as breaking the fourth wall, showed his relationships with the characters.

Ángel Froilán Flores Martínez discussed his process of approaching Los que dicen ¡No! At first, the documentation was purely photographic, but he reached a point where he realized that the language of photography was not enough to accurately convey the extractivism that the Apulco River and the community that cares for it were facing. 

When asked about the care they took in representing the stories they documented, the filmmakers agreed on two aspects: their active commitment to the reality of filmmaking and the level relationship they maintained with the protagonists of the documentaries.

Vásquez paid particular attention to the Ayuujk language, as she wanted the community featured in the documentary to be able to see and understand the film, from its message to technical aspects.

“That everything could flow and be part of our essence” was of utmost importance so that viewers would feel like part of the family. Ascona added that, unlike outside filmmakers who only come to extract stories and then leave, his connection to the town and its people makes him responsible for how he represents them. “I didn’t want to idealize the town, I wanted to show it with its nuances, with its contrasts,” he said.

Flores mentioned that his main intention was to avoid replicating extractivist practices during production, which is why he opted for a collaborative way of filming, where there was an exchange. His way of arriving at a story he wanted to tell was by asking questions and letting the community itself choose the topic to be addressed. “We knew things, but we knew that the people involved knew much more,” he said. 

The filmmakers were asked about their strategies for getting their documentaries to other festivals and securing screening venues. All three agreed on the importance of ensuring that the voices they represent reach others, but this is not at the top of their list of priorities.

Yovegami Ascona Mora said it was essential to rethink the gap that exists in the distribution of these stories. For now, the solution is to take advantage of the existing alternative circuit. His personal strategy is to release the documentary publicly once it has finished its run at festivals.

Concepción Vásquez shared her plan to make her project public, but mentioned that her priority is to maintain a perspective and narrative that appeals to and reflects the community.

Ángel Froilán Flores Martínez said that it is important for filmmakers from indigenous communities to keep knocking on doors. His strategy is to understand the dynamics that exist in communities for spreading messages, such as community radio stations, and use them for films.

Once again, they agreed that it doesn't matter if their films and conversations don't attract crowds in mainstream venues; what matters is that people in the communities can see them. Finally, they stressed the value of documenting and preserving the historical memory of communities, a task they carry out through their lens.