10 · 23 · 24

A Project for the Community: Interview with Natalia Bruschtein, Director of LACHATAO

Ariadna Coronel

The CEFAC, located in Santa Catarina Lachatao—a town in the Sierra Norte of Oaxaca—is a community project aimed at integrating important knowledge for the culture and preservation of the community into basic education.

In Lachatao (2024, dir. Natalia Bruschtein), this project is presented to care for and preserve the values necessary for the community to thrive in younger generations.

We spoke with director Natalia Bruschtein following the selection of her documentary in the Mexican Documentary Feature category at the 22nd edition of the Morelia International Film Festival (FICM).

FICM: I understand you learned about Santa Catarina Lachatao thanks to a neighbor who lived there and told you about the school built by the community. What led you to decide to stay and make a documentary?

NB: Several things caught my attention about the community. Honestly, when I arrived, I didn't have high expectations. I thought, “Well, let’s see.” We spent a week there, and during that time, several things happened. One was that I realized I never saw a child throw a tantrum the entire week. I started thinking about the relationship between children and tantrums—what made them not feel that need?

I began to observe the relationship between adults and children, and the importance placed on the latter. Often, adults view children as a burden rather than part of our relationships and bonds, when in reality, they are the future. What we teach them will shape the values they carry forward. On the other hand, I was struck by the sense of community, something that has been lost in cities. In the community, looking out for one another and caring for the environment is essential for progressing together.

FICM: The education of children is not limited to the CEFAC, it also happens in their families, who teach them to recognize the importance of the territory and their work. What was most valuable about these experiences? What can you tell us about the CEFAC and what the children learn from their families?

NB: One thing that stands out to me is the theme of memory and identity, and how the community has prevented that identity from being lost. The CEFAC is an initiative of the parents because there was only one primary school teacher for all the children in the community, and the parents realized their children weren’t receiving the education they needed. They wanted an education connected to their reality.

So they created the CEFAC, which offers a comprehensive education—not just academic, but also focused on their environment. For example, they learn local geography before moving on to universal geography. They say, “What’s the point of knowing where Europe is if they don’t know their own surroundings?” They also teach traditional medicine, the importance of herbs, how to work the land, and how to interpret the weather, which is vital for daily life. That’s what the community taught me: to understand the importance of viewing children as part of the future of their culture and community.

FICM: Besides what you've mentioned, the documentary has a very intimate feel, something I generally appreciate in documentaries: the presence of the camera and the director seem almost invisible. How did you create this relationship with the children, the parents, the teacher, and other community members? Especially with the children, since they’re having very deep conversations but appear to be alone, and suddenly the camera appears magically.

NB: It was a combination of factors. We spent a lot of time with them. It was just the photographer, Miguel Tovar, and me, and we were with the community all day long. We stayed in the home of one of the families for a week, which helped a lot.

I think something beautiful is that children are very adaptable. They are curious and always aware of their surroundings, but they also have very internal moments where the world fades away for them. Miguel has a special connection with the children and an incredible energy. Sometimes I would leave him alone with them, and he was able to capture that curiosity that interested me so much: how children see the world, and what they think. For instance, when they were discussing reincarnation, that moment was quite funny. I was in a tiny room with the microphone while Miguel was outside filming the chickens. Suddenly, the children began talking about reincarnation and death, completely absorbed in their conversation. It was a magical moment they gave us, and I think it was possible due to the respect and care we provided, without forcing them to say or do things that weren’t natural for them.

FICM: Returning to the topic of the community, do you think more people are looking to preserve it, or do they prefer to leave and send their children to other schools?

NB: At one point, migration was very strong, but for several years now, at least since I arrived, there hasn’t been much migration. I believe there’s been an important change. Of course, there is natural migration as young people grow up; it’s a small community, and some look for partners or want to study at university. But what parents teach their children—and I think this is their greatest value—is that they’re not obligated to stay. They can leave, grow, and then return. Although the community once had 1,500 inhabitants, now there are around 200, yet they have managed to sustain themselves. There have been births, and the sense of belonging has grown considerably.

FICM: Are you planning to work on themes like territorial defense or illegal logging in future documentaries?

Natalia Bruschtein: No, at the moment I’m not focused on those topics. I’m working on something different related to memory. I’m thinking about another project related to pollution, but it’s still in the early stages.