El General

 

Movie poster for El General (2009).

For this Hispanic Heritage Month, I am catching up on some films relevant to the theme. The first one is an award-winning film by Natalia Almada titled El General. The movie weaves in audio recordings left by her grandmother Alicia recalling the life of her father, Plutarco Elias Calles, who served as President of Mexico from 1924-1928. We share a common ancestor, as Plutarco's grandfather was Vicente Antonio Campuzano, my 3rd-great-grandfather. This means Ms. Almada and I are distant cousins.

I missed the film when it was broadcast on PBS several years ago, but it is available for rental or purchase via Vimeo. It is fascinating how she blends the audio recordings, family photos and films from the time of her grandmother and great-grandfather, with the interviews and stories of everyday Mexicans in 2006-2007. This is definitely worth watching and provides an important perspective on Mexico from the last 100 years.