Educational Media Reviews Online

This film is a personal account of twenty-four indigenous women weavers involved in the civil war in Chiapas, Mexico. They gather for a festival of weaving which is intertwined with music and prayer, as a remembrace and homage to those who had suffered and died resisting the oppression of the Mexican government. It is an up close and personal portrait of the struggles of the Zapatista Army of National Liberation, which for the last five years has pressed for a more equitable distribution of land and a voice for the peasants in the Chiapas region of Mexico.

These descendants of the Mayan people are, according to the video, kept powerless and in poverty by the current federal government. The weavers gather to remember a particular event, in which 45 members of a progressive Catholic group were gunned down at Acteal by members of a government paramilitary organization. A Rezador, or prayer expert, accompanies them throughout the video. A small musical group also provides background and support as the women weave in order to raise money for their cause.

Black and white photos of the Acteal massacre, as well as scenes of military might, accompany the women as they tell of their struggle. While the film itself is strongly biased, it does accurately portray the struggles of the Zapatista Army against the current Mexican government. Musical instruments and song, contemporary costumes, and the use of the Tzotzil language help to provide cultural realism to their struggles. This film is recommended for use in both secondary and higher education, with the understanding that it is politically biased. A Spanish version is also available.