Nudo Mixteco

Three lives intersect in a Mixtec community in the highlands of the Mexican state of Oaxaca. During the feast of San Mateo, the patron saint of the village of the same name, María, Esteban and Toña return to their birthplace. Maria buries her mother, while her father rejects her because of her lesbian relationship. After five years in the USA, Esteban thinks he can just come back to his wife Chabela. And Toña, who fled to the capital to get away from the uncle who abused her, discovers that her daughter, who was left behind with her mother, suffered the same sad fate. The three separate stories touch each other for a brief moment and thus weave together into a mosaic of the local culture in which director Ángeles Cruz herself grew up. With this impressive, fascinating feature debut, Cruz examines the impact of migration and the difficulties women face in a traditional community. ‘With her first feature film, Mexican actress turned writer/director Ángeles Cruz has fashioned a quietly powerful triptych of stories that speak about the plight of indigenous women in her country, combating the triple whammy of poverty, intolerance and toxic masculinity. While the subject’s a heavy one, Cruz’s compassionate and skilful storytelling, assisted by strong performances, results in a lighter, engaging alternative to the often-hardcore Mexican approach to drama.’—Demetrios Matheou, Screen