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Teaching children to understand their environment: LOS NUEVOS by Rodrigo Plá at the 24th FICM

Berenice Andrade Medina

Los nuevos, a film by Rodrigo Plá, which is competing in the Mexican Feature Film Section of the Official Selection, premiered at the 24th Morelia International Film Festival (FICM).

Written by Laura Santullo, Los nuevos follows the arrival of Tiana and her family, who seek refuge in the village where Mateo and Tomás live. However, the pollution they were fleeing eventually reaches this place as well. The three children and their dog Nube will face adventures and dangers in search of what is poisoning the rivers.

In a press conference, the screenwriter expressed the need to offer content that allows children to understand their environment, so as not to leave gaps in information that can be filled with ignorance and fantasies: “Children also live with problems. What you don't talk about is a void, a gap in meaning.”

In the Q&A session following the premiere, Rodrigo Plá explained that the process of integrating with the communities in Tabasco—where the film was shot—was quite extensive: “We started by visiting schools, conducting an initial selection, and inviting children to acting workshops. We trained them and taught them how to act... It was a collaborative effort with the local communities, and we really got to know one another.”

Santullo concluded with an urgent appeal: “These topics need to be discussed with children, so that from a young age, they begin to reflect on their own reality—and perhaps, with any luck, change it.”