Cine Mixteca launched in 2022 as a DIY film festival dedicated to bringing Oaxacan cinema to local audiences, who struggle to see their own stories on screen. Since then, it’s gone gone from strength to strength, and has even attracted support this year from the British Council. Next month, it will begin its third edition. It’s the effort of a close-knit filmmaking community in the state, spearheaded by its founder Nohelí Morales.

Morales and her team take a slow and deliberate approach to curation, scouring the diverse municipalities in the Mixteca, carefully building out a programme that gives voice to these communities. These are vital, difficult to access films reflecting the experiences of the region - migration, violence, or even the recovery of mother tongues.

It’s an important event that enables the diverse communities of Oaxaca a chance to reflect on their own unique stories, often in their own language.

The Mexico Brief: Explain the origins of Cine Mixteca?

Nohelí Morales: I grew up in Huajuapan de León, Oaxaca, one of the Mixteca municipalities in Oaxaca. Movies were always a part of my life, but more as an outside entity. It all started with my mom, who worked at the municipal library in Huajuapan. She would rent movies from the library or from a rental store called Videocentro so we could watch them together. Sometimes, I could also go to the movies (there was and still is only one movie theatre in the city), but the variety of films was limited. To see a new release (and only if we had the budget, which was not often), we had to travel three hours to Oaxaca City, the state capital. Cine Mixteca begins because not much has changed in decades; culture is never on the agenda.

Watching movies with my mom, my friends, or alone always gave me answers, but above all, it raised questions. I would like to be part of something that provokes thought and sparks curiosity in our minds.

We have so much access to the internet and movie platforms, but we rarely question what comes our way. What are we watching? Who made it? Is it a correct interpretation?

I am sure that people want to see different movies, but if they don't, it's because they haven't had the chance. I know this because people attend the screenings we organise. I am passionate about Mexican cinema, especially Oaxacan cinema, but the opportunities to watch it are so limited that being part of a channel to bring it closer is something that deeply motivates me. Additionally, bringing together people who might not have met under other circumstances, all for the sole purpose of sharing a screen, seems like a magical event to me.

Nohelí Morales: I return to the point about all the audiovisual stimuli we are exposed to. I think we are consuming all kinds of messages without full awareness. When I think about pedagogy, I think about rethinking what we see and opening our eyes to what those around us are doing. I think about cinema in native languages, experimental cinema, documentary cinema, and local cinema, which, for me, represent different ways of experiencing film. The cinema I try to bring closer is mostly independent and Mexican. When we held the first edition of the Muestra de Cine de la Mixteca, an older lady (who attended all the screenings with her grandson) told me that she enjoyed watching that kind of film. I didn’t need to find labels or concepts, but I understood the essence of the films that needed to 'converse' in the festival.

We aim to conduct a slow and deliberate search for films, sometimes up to a year in advance. We curate the list according to the profile of each municipality. Since the second edition of the Festival, we have covered several municipalities in the Mixteca region, each of which is very different from the others. In some, the native language is still frequently spoken, while in others, it is not. We try to get to know each place as best we can and select films that are more appropriate for each location. The truth is, we place a lot of trust in the audience. We enjoy seeing the films through their eyes and serving as just a channel for them. People take ownership of the project, and that excites us a lot. Regarding specific topics, we try to present stories that resonate with the communities. I think of issues that, unfortunately, we know all too well, such as migration, violence, abandonment, racism, and the loss or recovery of the mother tongue, among others.

TMB: Community and network building are an important part of Cine Mixteca. Why is it so necessary?

Nohelí Morales: The film community in Oaxaca needs attention from the state and municipal governments. They focus heavily on tourism but not on the stories they promote. Honestly, I find the local landscape tremendously disappointing. This is a criticism because what we do is achieved mostly through our own efforts, juggling multiple activities or seeking support outside our region. We are strong because we support each other as equals.

However, on a more hopeful note, I think of the Oaxaca Cine project, led by Isabel Rojas, whom I know and admire. She has made film exhibitions possible in Oaxaca for 10 years and is undoubtedly an example to follow, demonstrating the importance of creating such a relevant project and making it sustainable over time.

TMB: Workshops are a big part of the programme you run. Tell us about who they’re targeted at?

Nohelí Morales: I like to remember my childhood in the municipal library, whether I was waiting for my mother at work or attending summer workshops. I also participated in some workshops at the cultural centre in Huajuapan de León. I think about how limited my access was to many other activities in town, but every time I could attend [something], I enjoyed it. I really try to design activities for all ages, but perhaps there is more emphasis on younger people because I notice more interest from them. I think it is genuinely nice that we can access activities that nurture creaativity and help us become storytellers of our own experiences.

TMB: You’re launching a production company to highlight Mixteca stories. Who are the Mixteca filmmakers our readers should look out for?

Nohelí Morales: I find it challenging to limit the discussion to Mixtec filmmakers because Oaxaca is a state that could encompass many worlds. I say this because we are made up of 8 regions and 570 municipalities. There is so much to tell! There are so many genres, so many stories, so much variety. We often talk about documentary film, and I frequently think of women directors, such as Teofila Palafox, originally from San Mateo del Mar, who is a pioneer of community cinema, Yolanda Cruz from San Juan Quiahije, Cinthya Toledo from Juchitán, to name a few. In the Mixtec region, the filmmaker Ángeles Cruz stands out; I believe her work is particularly noteworthy (let's not forget San Miguel el Grande). I also think about Itandehui Jansen, whose mother is from Chalcatongo de Hidalgo (she currently lives in Holland but still has strong roots in the region). I cannot fail to mention other Mixtec filmmakers who have contributed to Cine Mixteca, such as Julio Saavedra, originally from Chazumba, and Nicolás Rojas from Mixtepec.