A Place Called Chiapas

Marcos, takes control over villages and surrounding land, giving it all back to the people. This small time revolution had the Mexican government sweating under the collar to the extend where they had no power to go in and kick arse. Reason being that Marcos, the great manipulator, knew how to play the political game by using the media circus to his advantage. The other help came via the Internet where the Zapatistas were able to communicate their revolutionary ideas to the world. Nettie Wild and her crew capture these strong images that sometimes seem surreal. We have images of the Zapatistas wearing masks, giving them that Phantom mystery. With great pride they ride on horses like the fable heroes Zorro and the Lone Ranger but I think that symbolism of revolution derives from the legendary Mexican hero, Zapata. They pose for the media and in one great scene they ride into Northern Chiapas at dusk, like rescuers that appear from nowhere. That's when Nettie manages to grab a short intimate interview with Marcos. Soon the media circus moves on when the clown stops laughing and the blood seeps through the land with the help of the fascists group, Peace and Justice. But not our hero Nettie. Her crew stayed on but unfortunately not for long enough. They move on as well and till this day the battle for the indigenous people of Chiapas continues. An eye opener for those who feel that revolutionaries are uncool and useless for this day and age.

"A Place Called Chiapas" is not an easy or pleasant film to view. Still, this movie is a must for everyone who wants to learn more about the difficult situation in Chiapas, Mexico. The bravery and creativity of the indigenous people in this area of Mexico is breathtaking. They have managed to tell the world their story, and survive the presence of the well-armed Mexican troops and paramilitary forces. > It would take more than 1 1/2 hours to portray the Mexican government's >repression of the indigenous population of Chiapas. Still, some explanation >would have been useful. The director only explains these matters >more or less in passing. She drops us into the middle of the maelstrom, shows us a lot of fantastic footage, and then ends the film as abruptly as she started it. It is difficult to place the situation in Chiapas in a historic and economic context.

This is not a perfect documentary, but it needs to be seen. I cannot think of any better way to learn about Chiapas, other than going to Chiapas and investigating the situation personally.

Note: Tom Hansen of the Mexico Solidarity Network spoke before and after the movie. He is extremely knowledgeable about Chiapas. >For a group showing, having Tom accompany the film would be a great asset.

It's far from polished, but as always a documentary camera in sympathetic hands can capture unexpected and vital truths about a tough political situation. In this case, although the Zapatista commandants themselves are a fairly sympathetic lot, their dreams of revolution are being fought by the far more moving 2,000 (now more) very poor, powerless and uncertain people in the northern part of Chiapas -- people who have no guns and very little voice. If it did nothing else, the film awakened me to that part of the problem. Marcos comes off as something of a poseur, but since he has been there twelve years you want to have faith that he and his anonymous comrades will prove to be the heroes the indigenous people need.