On January 1, 1994, the day the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) took effect, the world witnessed the emergence of the Zapatista Army of National Liberation (EZLN) in the southern Mexican state of Chiapas. The Zapatistas, led by the enigmatic Subcomandante Marcos, took up arms to protest the Mexican government's neglect of indigenous rights and the detrimental impact of globalization on local communities.
From the beginning, the Zapatistas recognized the importance of controlling their narrative. Subcomandante Marcos, the charismatic spokesperson of the EZLN, skillfully used the internet and traditional media to communicate their demands, ideals, and struggles. The Zapatistas' ability to leverage media channels helped garner global attention and build solidarity with their cause.
Cinema also played a crucial role in documenting and conveying the Zapatista narrative. Numerous filmmakers from both Mexico and other parts of the world captured the stories of the indigenous communities, shedding light on their grievances and aspirations. Initiatives like Canal 6 de Julio and the Chiapas Media Project, along with notable documentaries like A Place Called Chiapas and Zapatista, provided national and international audiences with intimate insights into the lives of those fighting for autonomy and justice.
In 2018, the EZLN organized the the “Puy Ta Cuxlejaltic,” (Snail of our Life) ‘an impossible film festival at Oventik, one of the Zapatista rebel territories, with a secondary location in San Cristobal de las Casas, featuring both independent films by indigenous communities and large productions by award winning directors including Roma by Alfonso Cuarón, 500 Years by Pamela Yates, and Cherán, Tila y Ostula by the independent media outlet SubVersiones.
As we commemorate the 30th anniversary of the Zapatista insurrection, we highlight six feature films—five documentaries and one fiction—from Mexico, Spain, Canada, and the United States over the last 30 years that illustrate the journey of the Zapatista movement from its inception to the present day.
A PLACE CALLED CHIAPAS
(Nettie Wild, Canada, 1998, 93 min. In English and Spanish with English subtitles)
Streaming on Kanopy
Canadian filmmaker Nettie Wild traveled to the jungle canyons of southern Mexico to capture the elusive and fragile life of the Zapatista uprising, described by The New York Times as 'the world’s first post-modern revolution.' Following the EZLN insurrection, the government deployed its troops, resulting in at least 145 casualties during the ensuing battle. Fighting for indigenous Mexicans to regain control over their lives and land, the Zapatista Army, led by the charismatic guerrilla poet Subcomandante Marcos, began broadcasting their message to the world via the Internet. The Canadian documentary had its world premiere at the Berlin Film Festival and was featured at numerous film festivals, including Sydney, Toronto, and AFI, where it earned the Audience Award for Best Documentary.
ZAPATISTA
(Rick Rowley, Benjamin Eichert, and Staale Sandberg, USA, 1999, 56 min. In English and Spanish with English subtitles)
Streaming on Kanopy
Directed by Rick Rowley, Benjamin Eichert, and Staale Sandberg, featuring exclusive interviews with Noam Chomsky, Subcomandante Marcos, and Comandante Tacho, and voiced by Darryl Hannah, Mumia Abu-Jamal, and Edward James Olmos, the documentary Zapatista was billed as the definitive look at the Zapatista movement in Chiapas, Mexico, and the story of how a few thousand Mayan peasants transformed the political culture of Mexico forever.
CAMINANTES
(Fernando León de Aranoa, Spain, 2001, 60 min. In Spanish with English subtitles)
In early 2001, Spanish filmmaker Fernando León de Aranoa (The Good Boss) visited the Mexican village of Noria as it was preparing a final celebration to send off the Chiapas region's Zapatista guerrillas on a protest march to the nation's capital of Mexico City. His resulting film, Caminantes, documents the relationships and interactions between the Zapatistas and the indigenous people they protect and represent. As the villagers build a stage for the evening's festivities, director de Aranoa interviews a number of the town's celebrants, as well as the famed and revered Zapatista spokesman identified only as Subcomandante Marcos. Later, after the revelries and speeches have ended, the Zapatistas move on to Mexico City, bolstered by the enthusiasm and support from the scores of other peasants they encounter along the way. Caminantes was selected for the Sundance Film Festival.
HEART OF TIME / CORAZÓN DEL TIEMPO
(Alberto Cortés, Mexico, 2008, 91 min. In Spanish with English subtitles)
Streaming on YouTube, Google Play, Apple TV, and FlixLatino
Heart of Time narrates the tale of Sonia, an indigenous woman from Chiapas, who finds herself obligated to marry Miguel due to a longstanding arrangement made by her parents. Traditionally, the payment for the daughter's hand in marriage has been a cow. Despite this, Sonia decides to break off her engagement as she has fallen in love with Julio, a guerrilla fighter associated with the Zapatista Army of National Liberation. Guided by this premise, Mexican director Alberto Cortés captures this fictional feature film, wherein actual Zapatista indigenous people participate by portraying themselves. The film, co-written by renowned poet Hermann Bellinghausen, garnered five Ariel nominations, including nods for Best Picture and Best Director.
THE SPOKESWOMAN / LA VOCERA
(Luciana Kaplan, Mexico, 2020, 82 min. In Spanish, Maya, Yaqui, and Wixárika with English subtitles)
Streaming on Netflix
The Spokeswoman offers a captivating and intimate glimpse into the campaign trail of María de Jesús Patricio, also known as Marichuy. She made history as the first indigenous woman to run for president in Mexico's 2018 election, navigating the country to build momentum and garner support for her platform. In a groundbreaking move, Mexico's indigenous communities united to present a candidate for the 2018 presidential election. Marichuy, a traditional healer and human rights activist from the Nahua nation, was chosen by the National Indigenous Congress and EZLN to be their spokeswoman, running independently to draw national attention to the issues faced by Indigenous nations across the country. Recognized with two Ariel Award nominations for Best Documentary and Best Editing, the film directed by Mexican-Argentine filmmaker Luciana Kaplan, achieved success on the international film festival circuit, earning official selections at prestigious events such as Hot Docs, Ambulante, San Francisco, and Guadalajara, among many others.
LA MONTAÑA
(Diego Enrique Osorno, Mexico, 2023, 92 min. In Spanish with English subtitles)
Inspired by the sentiment that in order to change the world, we must first change the way we look at it, filmmaker and journalist Diego Enrique Osorno captures the story of a small group of indigenous members of the EZLN, who boarded a vessel from Mexico to Europe in 2021. Embarking on their historic journey in the midst of the pandemic, the trip marked 500 years since the conquest of Mexico, captured from the Aztecs by Spaniards and their allies. A compelling, powerful documentary about decolonisation and anti-neoliberalism, the Zapatista delegation marks their journey across the Atlantic not only as conquerors of the past but also with hope for the future, planting a seed of life and struggle in Europe.
