11 · 05 · 05

Michoacán Shorts are well liked

Clara Sánchez

Antonio Zirión’s Últimas memorias vivas (Honorary Mention, Short Film Competition), and Dante Cerano and Eduviges Tomás’ Cheranásticotown (winner of the Best Short Film from Michoacan) attracted attention at the screening of these shorts during the The Best of the Morelia International Film Festival at the Cineteca Nacional program.

Últimas memorias vivas recreates the story of a volcano, the Paricutin, told from the perspective of those who witnessed its eruption and were forced moved to San Juan, Caltzontzin and Anaghuan.

Cheranásticotown portrays the way Purepecha immigrants living in the US communicate with their families through video.

Edgar Ortiz (Psychologist)
Which short did you like the best?
I liked Ultimas memorias vivas. It´s a lovely short, I really like the way it reenacts what happened there. It was really moving, I once went to that place and seeing the film really took me back there. I was in a contemplative mood; the video presents peoples’stories, aside from the images. Seeing the film changed my perception of that place.

What did you think of the other shorts?
I liked how ethnographic themes, places and the customs, are being portrayed in these films… this last one (Cheranasticotown) was very interesting, the way it shows the fusion of two cultures. It’s a little sad, too, because these cultures are changing, forming something new by uniting two totally different things: the American way of life and the more traditional Mexican culture.

Is this the first time you attend the Morelia Film Festival (at the Cineteca Nacional)?
Yeah, I liked it a lot.

Elizabeth Pérez Méndez (Lawyer)
Which short did you like the best?
The Pátzcuaro short (Cheranasticotown), because you can see all the things people lack, to the point that they have to immigrate to other countries, in this case the United States. I have a sister who lives there, so I can relate to this idea: families bridging the distance between them through the use of technology. I also liked the way the short shows how two cultures are changing, along with the stories, the landscapes, and everything related to Michoacan.

Is this the first time you attend the Morelia Film Festival (at the Cineteca Nacional)?
Yes

How did you learn about the Festival?
I had wanted to come to the Cineteca for a long time, and I wanted to know more about Michoacán. I liked the work, it really speaks to people, I like the practical aspect of these films, they don’t delve on theorizations, and the way they show real problems, which haven’t changed in years.