Mezquite's Heart - School Screening
(Corazón de Mezquite)

Growing up in her indigenous Yoreme community in northern Mexico, Lucia lives with her father and grandparents in a small village. Lucia’s father Fidel is a musician in a traditional band, playing the harp for weddings, parties and community celebrations – though he is struggling to get over the death of Lucia’s mother, and is beginning to drink too much. Although the harp is traditionally only played by men, Lucia is secretly learning to play with the help of her grandfather – and she sees this as an important way for her to reconnect with her father and bring the whole family back together again. In addition, she wants to play at an upcoming community celebration, but her classmates ridicule her for her audacious plan. Will her wanting to break with culture, tradition and unwritten gender expectations get in the way of her future happiness?

"A film for anyone with a passion to do things their spirit demands..."

Back in 2016, a little film called The Eagle Huntress became a huge success when it looked at a little girl’s struggles to overcome traditional roles in Mongolia. Now we have a very similar tale, this time set in Mexico, but with the same attitude towards challenging outdated ideas on how things should be done. The difficulties of balancing cultural norms and traditions and Lucia’s desire to follow her passion make for a fascinating spotlight on one community’s struggle with change. A film for anyone with a passion to do things their spirit demands, and one that is presented in a way as far removed from a Disney movie as is humanly possible. Small scale and powerfully emotional, this really is a little film with a giant heart.

Dir: Ana Laura Calderón
Mexico 2019 / 1h20m / Age 8+
Mayo and Spanish with English subtitles

Here's more from Festival Producer, Mike Tait, on why you should watch Mezquite's Heart:

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