Winner of "Best Foreign Documentary about Latin America," Havana International Film Festival
In Spanish and Zapotec dialogue with English subtitles.
Bay Area filmmaker Maureen Gosling will present a special screening of her documentary "Blossoms of Fire."
The town of Juchitan in Oaxaca, Mexico, was part of a matriarchal society centuries ago, but unlike most of the cities that surround it, Juchitan hasn't lost touch with this side of its past -- it's a city where women enjoy a degree of political, economic, and social equality unknown in most of the world. The city's dominant businesses are run by women, women take a leading role in city government and activist actions, and in most of the city's households, it's the women who handle the family's financial affairs. The documentary "Blossoms of Fire" takes a look at Juchitan's history and present-day notoriety, as well as the problems that have come with the city's increasingly high media profile. "Blossoms of Fire" was shown at the 2000 San Francisco Film Festival. — Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
"Very cool movie!" — John Sayles