Discuss the Theme of Indigenismo in Mexican Cinema
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In the same way as art and literature has, Mexican cinema has always been an accurate reflection of the ever changing social situation and has been a useful documentational tool of the countrys history. However, the portrayal of the indian and all things indigenous has always raised important questions regarding the perception of Indigenism in Mexico. This essay seeks to investigate the apparent chasm that exists between cinemas portrayal of all things indigenous and the reality. The essay will also raise the question of how accurately the role of indigenous people in Mexican films reflects the role they play in society and in the country. The essay will focus primarily on the period immediately after the Revolution up to 1950.
Ten percent of the Mexican population is directly derived from one of the many groups of indigenous people present in Mexico before the conquest. In total over half of the Mexican population is mestizo meaning that they are at least part indigenous . However, though the concept of mestizaje is celebrated in society and cinema and it is an integral feature of what Mexico represents, the Indian is often ignored and though he is a huge part of Mexicos past, his treatment by society rarely reflects this.
The first Mexican films to deal with the theme of indigenous people were Tiempos Mayas (1914-1915) and La Voz de la Raza (1914-1915), both by Carlos Martnez de Arredondo y Manuel Cirerol Sansores. These films were produced in the years immediately after the first phase of the Mexican Revolution amidst a tide of patriotic fervor...