MSP Film Society will require, at the time of entry, either proof of complete COVID-19 vaccination or negative results from a COVID-19 test performed within 72 hours of the screening. Masks are strongly recommended for all screenings regardless of vaccination status, unless actively eating or drinking. For more information regarding MSP Film Society's COVID-19 policy CLICK HERE.
Access to Cine Latino streaming movies are geo-restricted to viewers in Minnesota and a MN billing address is required to purchase a ticket.
Your ticket includes a recorded introduction and Q&A with director Horacio Alcala.
PANEL DISCUSSION FOLLOWING THE IN-PERSON FILM SCREENING - Sat, Oct 9 at 3:30pm
A panel discussion will follow the October 9 in-person screening. Cine Latino Artistic Director Hebe Tabachnik will moderate a conversation between Mexico in Minneapolis Folk Arts Residency internationally celebrated master artists Jacobo and María Ángeles and musician Azul Barrientos, whose work is featured in Finlandia. Their dialogue will explore themes of creativity and identity explored in Finlandia and how artists play an important role in reviving and shaping Mexican folk traditions. Read more about the Mexico in Minneapolis Folk Arts Residency here.
About the film
Convinced that “ethnic clothes are in vogue,” ruthless fashion designer Lorena (Raquel Menor Rodriguez) sends underling Marta (Andrea Guasch) out of the fast, glossy world of Spain’s fashion markets and into the lush, culturally rich hills of Oaxaca in order to appropriate local clothing traditions with an eye on making indigenous fashion chic among the European jetset. But when Marta begins perusing local markets for patterns and fabrics, she unexpectedly finds herself welcomed in by members of the local Muxe community, third-gender members of the Zapotec people, including Andres (Cuauhtli Jiménez), burdened by daily battles with her drunken lout of a father; altar boy Mariano (Érick Israel Consuelo), who’s torn between the desires of his mother to join the priesthood yet who finds comfort among the Muxe; and master seamstress and deeply lovelorn Delirio (Noé Hernández, Son of Monarchs, Miss Bala), whose prayers to be loved by her mysterious Finnish pen-pal hide a devastating secret—and who quietly senses that something is amiss with their European visitor. Yet as Marta’s connection to the Muxe deepens, her crisis of conscience grows, leading to a powerful reckoning as Pachamama prepares to vent her wrath and each comes face-to-face with who she was meant to be in this emotionally rich, visually stunning tapestry from director Horacio Alcala, co-written with Jesus Caballero.
Convencida que la “ropa étnica está en boga”, Lorena (Raquel Menor Rodriguez) diseñadora de moda sin escrúpulos, aleja a su empleada Marta (Andrea Guasch) del rápido y sofisticado mundo de los mercados de la moda de España y la envía a las colinas exuberantes y de gran riqueza cultural de Oaxaca para apropiarse de las tradiciones locales de vestimentas con la intención de hacer que la moda de los indígenas sea chic entre el jet set europeo. Pero cuando Marta comienza a buscar en los mercados locales estampados y telas, ella encuentra inesperadamente que es bienvenida por los miembros de la comunidad local Muxe, que es la tercera generación del pueblo Zapoteca, incluyendo Andrés (Cuauhtli Jiménez), agobiado por las peleas con su padre alcohólico; el monaguillo Mariano (Érick Israel Consuelo), dividido entre los deseos de su madre de que estudie para sacerdote y el confort que encuentra en la comunidad Muxe; y Delirio (Noé Hernández, Son of Monarchs, Miss Bala) una modista experta y muy desdichada por un amor no correspondido, cuyas plegarias para ser amada por su misterioso pen-pal finlandés esconde un secreto devastador—y siente silenciosamente que algo no anda bien con la visitante europea. A medida que se profundiza la relación de Marta con la comunidad Muxe, crece su crisis de conciencia, conduciendo a un ajuste de cuentas poderoso, cuando Pachamama se prepara para descargar su cólera, y cada uno de ellos se enfrentan cara a cara con lo que ella debería ser, en este rico entramado emocional y altamente atractivo del director Horacia Alcalá, y coescrito con Jesús Caballero.
Director Biography
Horacio Alcalá
Horacio Alcalá, born in Mexico, Guadalajara in 1978, is a film director and screenwriter licensed by Inter-Universidad Europe in Italy and Germany. He acquired his experience through independent projects while living in Berlin, full length films in France as well as short films and documentaries in Spain. His work has garnered worldwide recognition from prestigious festivals such as the Boston, New York, Tokyo and Palm Springs International Film Festival. After 7 years working at the “Cirque du Soleil” Horacio moved to Madrid and began working as a director in different projects focusing on plastic arts and circus narrative. Currently he develops documentary projects for the European Union through the CBC programs (Cross Border Cooperation) and the TESIM program of the European Commission, while also directing documentary short films on human rights issues for UNHCR.
Guest Biography
Azul Barrientos
Azul Barrientos is a musician and performer originally from Mexico City and now based in San Antonio as the artist in residence for the Esperanza Peace and Justice Center. Azul works to conserve and develop the folk music that she was first introduced to as a child. Having learned and continuing her study of the rhythms and stories of previous generations, Azul rejoices in her Latina roots and gives life and meaning to the narratives of Latin American history by highlighting the many cultural influences and interconnections between the Americas, Africa, and Spain.
Jacobo and María Ángeles
Jacobo and María Ángeles are natives of San Martín Tilcajete, a town located about 14 miles from Oaxaca City, and located in the Central Valleys region in the state of Oaxaca, Mexico. After many years of working in the fields they developed skills in the tradition of carving wooden tonas and nuhales, also known as alebrijes. In 1993 they established their workshop or taller, naming it Taller Jacobo y María Ángeles. Over the years, they have built an international following for their unique style, the craftsmanship and beauty of their work and ability to recuperate Mexican Indigenous cultural practices. Their work is characterized by intricately carved wooden figures and masks featuring Zapotec iconography painted with colors derived from organic and natural pigments made in Oaxaca.
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