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Introducing “El bloque:” A collective for animators

Doris Morales Translated by Morris Thompson

That was the purpose of a meeting Friday at the Casa Natal de Morelos.

“The objective is to get work into festivals, to produce, to promote, to make ourselves professional and offer training,” said Alejandra Guevara, director of the recently formed group. “We’ll offer the first course in November in Mexico City, an ‘Introduction to Animated Film in Stop Motion.’

“The idea was born from worrying about how to get ourselves together,” she said. “After all, we’re deluged from all sides. We can’t get access to the funds to be taken seriously. We met and agreed, That’s a necessity. There’s a group in Guadalajara that’s quite well organized. One time I went, and they asked me, ‘And you guys: When?’ ”

The core group is in Mexico City; one person in the state of Nayarit wants to make animated films with members of the Huichol indigenous group.

“The idea is that we all get together, from everywhere in the Mexican Republic,” Guevara said.

Several animated shorts made by members of “El bloque” were shown at the gathering, including Amatlán by Simon Gerbaud, Diez y media by Salvador Garnica, Pax de Deux by Juan Carlos López, La propuesta by Dieter Magallán and La nostalgia del Sr. Alambre by Jonathan Ostos.

Other filmmakers in El bloque include René Castillo, Salvador Herrera, Lourdes Villagómez and Alejandro Caballero.

“It’s an open invitation to everyone who’s working in animation,” group coordinator Laurette Flores said. “To contact the group, you can search for us on Facebook. The Web page is under construction.”