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THE WEAVERS’ SONGS

In San Pedro Amuzgos, Oaxaca, Mexico—known as "the town of the spinners"—director Ismael Vásquez Bernabé returns to the community that shaped him. As a child, Vásquez Bernabé would lie under his mother’s loom and ponder life beyond his own existence in his small town. Now, as an adult, he follows this curiosity by focusing on three key figures of the community: Donato, a recently deceased legendary violinist; his son Lorenzo, who is attempting to uphold his father’s legacy; and his own mother, Zoila, the only one of her sisters who still practices the art of weaving. Through these intertwined tales of music, dance, and tradition, the film explores the delicate threads that connect generations and the vital role of preserving cultural practices essential to the survival of an indigenous community. "It’s up to us who remain to rescue the cloth on the loom."

THE FILMMAKER

Ismael Vásquez Bernabé (1989, San Pedro Amuzgos, Oaxaca) was a dancer for the "Dance of the Chareos" of his community. In 2016, he completed his first documentary short film "Nkwí Nayà Tónko: compromiso de palabra" which has participated in more than ten exhibitions and film festivals, both Mexican and international. It was the winner of the Best Indigenous Student Documentary at the Latin American Short Film Festival in Barcelona, Spain. In 2017, he began his documentary, Hilando Sones, which obtained the National Geographic Early Career Grant and the IMCINE creators' incentive, as well as support from the Sundance Documentary Fund and EFICINE. As of 2023, the film has been completed, awaiting its release.

FESTIVALS AND AWARDS

Honorable Mention Emerging Int’l Filmmaker Award - Hot Docs Int’l Documentary Festival, Canada
Morelia International Film Festival, Mexico

THE WEAVERS’ SONGS

Catalog # EPF16076 ● ISBN: 978-1-963201-16-1 ● UPC: 6-82086-16076-4 ● NTSC

77 Minutes ● Copyright 2024 ● Amuzgo, English Subtitles, Spanish Subtitles

For purchase orders, to book screenings and for other inquiries, please contact:
Larry Rattner - larry@epfmedia.com

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