Cochochi

Dir.: Israel Cárdenas, Laura Amelia Guzmán
Scr.: Israel Cárdenas, Laura Amelia Guzmán
Phot.: Israel Cárdenas, Laura Amelia Guzmán
Editor: Israel Cárdenas, Yibrán Asuad
Cast: Antonio Lerma Batista, Evaristo Lerma Batista
Format: 35 mm / Screening: BETA SP
Colour
87 mins

Trailer

www.cochochidramarural.blogspot.com

Brothers Evaristo and Tony (played by non-professional actors Evaristo and Antonio Lerma Batista) have just graduated from the elementary school where they have been boarding. Evaristo wants to continue learning Spanish, Tony, on the other hand, would rather return home to work on the ranch in the Sierra Tarahumara of northwest Mexico. Upon arriving at the ranch, the boys’ grandfather sends them on an assignment to take medicine to a community in the Sierra. Tony borrows their grandfather’s horse without permission, making Evaristo very nervous. The boys choose a difficult path across the mountains and find themselves at a canyon they cannot cross. As they try to brainstorm a way out of the situation, they end up losing the horse and each other, and embark on separate adventures through the villages of the Sierra.

Cochochi transcends its simple plot of two children looking for a lost horse. Cárdenas and Guzmán make highly sophisticated commentaries on the realities facing the Raramuri and their customs. Their portrayal is so delicate and non-invasive, it almost feels like a register of real moments in the lives of the boys and the people they encounter. They tackle the question of how to lead a life in both one’s indigenous language and in Spanish. At the same time, they tell a nostalgic story of the purity and naïveté of youth. Remember when the worst things that could happen were getting in trouble and disappointing the adults in your life?

See also:
	Bad Habits		Burn the Bridges
	Opera