By Ricardo Lezama Revolutionary Dance Film On Mexico’s Human Rights Crisis (08/07/2015)
The dance film’s narrative scope does not limit itself to the 43 students of Ayotzinapa. The Semillas collective also puts forth a strong critique of the Mérida initiative, a US military program that funds Mexico’s military. Mutual cooperation between the US and Mexican government has been cited as a key problem for the Mexican public on both sides of the border. A now widely held believe is that US tax dollars are funding repression throughout México. However, the Mérida Initiative remained immune to questioning until the aftermath of the Iguala attack on the Ayotzinapa students
Altar for the disappeared of Mexico, considered victims of the Mérida Initiative. (08/02/2015) Photo Credit: Erik AlmeidaTweet
La Cartita — Semillas, a collective composed of artists, dancers, musicians, filmmakers and activists has now entered the post-production phase of their short film: ‘They Tried To Bury Us, They Did not Know We Were Seeds’/’Trataron de enterrarnos, no sabían que eramos semillas’ currently in development.
Semillas is a collective effort between artists: dancers, musicians, film makers and social justice activists/ community organizers driven to produce this short dance film after the tragic disappearance of 43 Mexican students, who have been missing since September 26, 2014.”
The dance film’s narrative scope does not limit itself to the 43 students of Ayotzinapa. The Semillas collective also offers a strong critique of the Mérida initiative, a US military program that funds Mexico’s military. Mutual cooperation between the US and Mexican government has been cited as a key problem for the Mexican public on both sides of the border. It is a widely held believe that US tax dollars are funding repression throughout Mexico. However, the Mérida Initiative remained immune to questioning, at least, until the aftermath of the Iguala attack on the Ayotzinapa students.
Ultimately, the film is evidence that artists from around the world have responded to the Mexican government’s repression through collective action – people care about Mexico.