This gorgeous, poetic film from acclaimed director Tatiana Huezo (Prayers for the Stolen shown by Buxton Film in 2022) is a documentary but could easily be mistaken for drama. It’s set in El Eco (the echo), a remote village in the Mexico highlands, where Huezo embedded herself for 18 months to film three families going about their lives and won her the 2023 Berlinale Documentary Award.
A harsh and extraordinary place, El Eco exists in a land full of mythology where people are necessarily deeply involved in the natural world. Conditions change drastically between seasons, as the children tend to the sheep amid frost and drought and also take care of their elders. Right from the start, they learn to understand death, illness and love, interpreting every word and silence from their parents. Huezo’s camera lingers on their faces, and those of the women of the village in particular, focusing on the rhythms, hardships and communal joys that make up their lives. Beautifully shot, The Echo is a deeply immersive study of tough but tender realities.
Cast: Montserrat Hernandez, María de los Ángeles Pacheco Tapia, Luz María Vázquez González
Director: Tatiana Huezo