Petate Blog
I have been working as a director and producer of films centered around indigenous issues for the last seven years, I find that one of the most enjoyable things about my work is the opportunity I have to meet with my people, hear their stories, and capture their points of view on film. I’m currently hosting screenings for my new documentary 2501 Migrants: A Journey . 2501 Migrants depicts the life and work of Oaxacan artist Alejandro Santiago, who is creating 2,501 sculptures to represent the members of the Oaxacan community of Teocococuilco who have been forced to leave in order to search for work in the United States. I hope you like it!
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LA Times features 2501 Migrants, Sells Out Redcat |
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Filmmaker Yolanda Cruz pays heed to the overlooked Mexican Indian. --------------------
Her work seeks to depict a culture's complexity. Take '2501 Migrants,' showing at REDCAT.
By Reed Johnson
December 14 2009
Its indigenous people are an integral part of Mexican society, but you wouldn't guess it from watching Mexican movies and television, glancing at billboards or perusing the ranks of the nation's political and economic elites.
The complete article can be viewed at: |
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NATIVE VISIONS: TWO DOCUMENTARIES ON INDIGENOUS MEXICAN CULTURE December 14, 2009 2501 Migrants: A Journey, by Yolanda Cruz
Day Two, by Dante Cerano “Cruz allows her subjects to tell the story in their own words. But the perspective is uniquely hers, a reflection of someone with an intimate knowledge of both sides of the border.” Los Angeles Times Reencuentros: 2501 Migrantes (Mexico/USA, 2008, 57 min.) examines the effects of mass emigration in the Oaxacan town of Teococuilo, virtually deserted after most of its adult indigenous population departed to look for work in the United States or Mexico City. Yolanda Cruz’s documentary tells the story of artist Alejandro Santiago, who sets out to create a monumental installation of 2501 life-size sculptures of all the people who left, because Teocucuilo, he feels, is so empty. The program also features Dante Cerano’s award-winning video essay Día dos(Mexico, 2004, 23 min.), an idiosyncratic and irreverent take on the second day of a P’urhepecha wedding ceremony. In person: Yolanda Cruz Curated by Jesse Lerner and Steve Anker. Funded in part with generous support from Wendy Keys and Donald Pels. |
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CONTACT: Yolanda Cruz petate(@)petate.com 323-665-6711
Aided by Community, Petate Productions completes Documentary 2501 Migrants: A Journey
Los Angeles. 2501 Migrants chronicles the creation of artist Alejandro Santiago’s exhibit 2,501 Migrants. Santiago visualizes creating one life-size sculpture per person who has migrated to America from his native village. The artist achieves his vision and profoundly changes the lives of the people that help him.
In a world abundant with despair, 2501 Migrants’ value is its capturing of hope. The film is peopled with those who suffer unique challenges because of migration. There is the artist searching for meaning in vibrant tribal villages turned into a unique breed of ghost-towns. There are the legions of young people who grow up thinking they have no other choice but to become migrants themselves once they’re done with elementary school.
While 2501 Migrants was conceived by Petate Productions, and financed by institutions like the Rockefeller Foundation and Latino Public Broadcasting, it is also a collective creation of local community artists. When the trailer for 2501 Migrants began circulating in the city’s art forums, the story of 2,501 Migrants moved people to offer their talents to help complete the film. The making of 2501 Migrants is a truly collective effort to craft a story with universal significance.
The hour-long documentary premiered at the 2008 Morelia International Film Festival to critical acclaim, receiving formal recognition from Mexico’s National Institute for the Development of Indigenous Communities. Upon this auspicious introduction, “2501 Migrants” is now set to embark on an international film festival tour.
About Petate Productions
Petate is a documentary film company focused on representing the issues of tribal communities left behind in the wake of global migration. Petate’s founder, UCLA-trained director Yolanda Cruz, has done over six documentaries on social issues. 2501 Migrants is her first full-length film. In addition to producing and releasing documentaries, Petate is also involved in providing technical support for non-profit organizations, entrepreneurs, and low-income communities.
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 2501 Migrants is a documentary that chronicles the personal experience of Oaxacan artist Alejandro Santiago, who learned the truth of the old saying that you can never go home again. After more than a decade living abroad, Santiago returned to the Zapotec Sierra seeking the village of his childhood. Instead, he found abandoned houses, empty streets, and deserted farm fields. He felt that his community, his culture, and his home were all lost. Santiago’s sense of emptiness drove him to search for answers in his art. His current project, 2501 Migrants, expresses his response—a symbolic community of life-size clay sculptures in homage to those who left. He plans to repopulate his village one statue at a time. Like many migrants, Santiago survives by recreating memories of life back home. 2501 Migrants tells his story and the stories of countless others.
Synopsis | Website
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