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Humboldt en Mexico. La mirada del explorador, by Ana Cruz, was presented at the 15th FICM

Gabriel Andrade Espinosa

As part of the special screening of the 15th Morelia International Film Festival (FICM), Humboldt en Mexico. La mirada del explorador (2017), by Ana Cruz, was presented at the Melchor Ocampo Theater.

The film tells the story of America's greatest explorer, the German scientist Alexander von Humboldt, and recounts his journey through the lands of New Spain in 1803, while preparing the edition of his work Cosmos, from his library in Berlin. During his voyage, he discovered the extraordinary biodiversity, the mining, volcanic, architectural and pre-Hispanic wealth that Mexico possesses, as well as its profound inequality.

The director, Ana Cruz, has done several works focused on public directed scientific information and cultural diffusion, as screenwriter, producer and director. Her work in the Mexican media has received several awards, such as the Latin American Prize for Historic Radionovela (1989) and the Goethe Prize for spreading German culture in Mexico, to name a couple. She also made scientific documentaries for the National Council of Science and Technology (CONACYT). In addition, she has been director of programming and broadcast at the Cineteca National. In 2005, she was a juror of the Michoacán Section and Michoacán Short Film Competition at FICM.

During the presentation of the film, Ana Cruz talked about the research work involved in making a documentary and the intention that drives her to devote herself to that.

"The most important thing and what I look for the most is to convey the spirit of research. I think it is very important to open scientific vocations. To ensure that young people who feel a pull towards science but have doubts, manage to get rid of them finding the right stimulus. Because there are also many inaccurate stereotypes that distance them from research."

"I think it is a thousand times preferable to share the results of research, like Humboldt began to do, than to keep them locked up as it was done previously. And it is always possible for them to be used for evil, but it is part of the discovery of the truth; the possibilities open in both directions.