VivaMex 2012
The region of South Mexico called Chiapas is still one of the few places where a real revolution is taking place. Mikki Funk travels across this magic land to investigate the world we live in. The reg…
VivaMex 2012
The region of South Mexico called Chiapas is still one of the few places where a real revolution is taking place. Mikki Funk travels across this magic land to investigate the world we live in. The region of South Mexico called Chiapas is still one of the few places where a real revolution is taking place. Mikki Funk travels across this magic land to investigate the situation of the population, interviewing many different characters, ranging from the very poor to the very rich and including military, shamans, professors, Mayan prophecy experts, Zapatistas, politicians, students and tourists, in her quest to understand the world we live in. The trip starts in San Cristóbal de las Casas, located in the Highlands of Chiapas at an elevation of approximately 2100 m (6890 ft) above sea level. For thousands of years, Maya peoples, ancestral to the present-day Tzotzil and Tzeltal peoples, have lived in settlements corresponding to the modern city of San Cristóbal. It is one of the four cities that the Zapatista Army of National Liberation took in its uprising in January 1994. The unusual temperature excursion (0° during the night, 26° during the day), the extreme poverty of the street sellers and the opulence of a very small part of the population are just a few of the striking contrasts this city has to offer. Don Lauro, a healer and shaman, lets our crew film (for the very first time) a very ancient ritual, a shamanistic healing dance: hundred people in costumes dance and sing for three hours. He will also answer Mikki's questions, explaining his philosophy and methods. An ancient curandero (healer), performs some healing rituals inside the Maya Museum. A seller talks about his situation in a rundown neighborhood of the city. The Buddhist meditation center. A woman living in a shack. A rich businessman. A Rainbow family. Young European tourists. Middle aged Mexican tourists. Policemen and a policewoman. An expert in Mayan calendar and prophecies. A therapist woman. The Zapatista movement is very present in the city. We decided to explore further and visit the New Year Gathering of the Zapatista women. Held in a remote mountain region, accessible only after many hours of dirt roads, it attracts hundreds of people from all over the world, supporting one of the few really revolutionary movements in the present world. The Zapatista hold many territories as independent from the Mexican government, with independent hospitals and schools, where the old local languages are taught. They don't have car plates and don't pay taxes to the central government. Their territories are protected by guards that are masked and armed. The journey goes ahead to the highlands of Chiapas, reaching an old Maya archeological site: Palenque. Inside the jungle is a camping site that guests tourists as well as locals. Chiapas has also an ocean side: we visited Boca del Ciel (heaven's mouth), a paradise still untouched by globalization. A fishermen community tries to survive, also aided by the rare tourists enjoying the ocean waves and the fresh fish. Back in San Cristóbal de las Casas, we explored the largely extended area of the markets. Just before leaving we had the chance to witness Don Lauro's peace ritual, held parallel in many places in the world. A multinational crowd sat in silence and prayer for two hours, to bring peace and happiness to our world situation.
VivaMex 2012
Documentary
Film Details
The region of South Mexico called Chiapas is still one of the few places where a real revolution is taking place. Mikki Funk travels across this magic land to investigate the world we live in. The region of South Mexico called Chiapas is still one of the few places where a real revolution is taking place.
Mikki Funk travels across this magic land to investigate the situation of the population, interviewing many different characters, ranging from the very poor to the very rich and including military, shamans, professors, Mayan prophecy experts, Zapatistas, politicians, students and tourists, in her quest to understand the world we live in. The trip starts in San Cristóbal de las Casas, located in the Highlands of Chiapas at an elevation of approximately 2100 m (6890 ft) above sea level. For thousands of years, Maya peoples, ancestral to the present-day Tzotzil and Tzeltal peoples, have lived in settlements corresponding to the modern city of San Cristóbal.
It is one of the four cities that the Zapatista Army of National Liberation took in its uprising in January 1994. The unusual temperature excursion (0° during the night, 26° during the day), the extreme poverty of the street sellers and the opulence of a very small part of the population are just a few of the striking contrasts this city has to offer. Don Lauro, a healer and shaman, lets our crew film (for the very first time) a very ancient ritual, a shamanistic healing dance: hundred people in costumes dance and sing for three hours.
He will also answer Mikki's questions, explaining his philosophy and methods. An ancient curandero (healer), performs some healing rituals inside the Maya Museum. A seller talks about his situation in a rundown neighborhood of the city.
The Buddhist meditation center. A woman living in a shack. A rich businessman.
A Rainbow family. Young European tourists. Middle aged Mexican tourists.
Policemen and a policewoman. An expert in Mayan calendar and prophecies. A therapist woman.
The Zapatista movement is very present in the city. We decided to explore further and visit the New Year Gathering of the Zapatista women. Held in a remote mountain region, accessible only after many hours of dirt roads, it attracts hundreds of people from all over the world, supporting one of the few really revolutionary movements in the present world.
The Zapatista hold many territories as independent from the Mexican government, with independent hospitals and schools, where the old local languages are taught. They don't have car plates and don't pay taxes to the central government. Their territories are protected by guards that are masked and armed.
The journey goes ahead to the highlands of Chiapas, reaching an old Maya archeological site: Palenque. Inside the jungle is a camping site that guests tourists as well as locals. Chiapas has also an ocean side: we visited Boca del Ciel (heaven's mouth), a paradise still untouched by globalization.
A fishermen community tries to survive, also aided by the rare tourists enjoying the ocean waves and the fresh fish. Back in San Cristóbal de las Casas, we explored the largely extended area of the markets. Just before leaving we had the chance to witness Don Lauro's peace ritual, held parallel in many places in the world.
A multinational crowd sat in silence and prayer for two hours, to bring peace and happiness to our world situation..