HUELLAS
Nature's imprint on humanity
-ENG-
The linguist Yásnaya E. Aguilar, a native of Ayutla Mixe (Oaxaca), Mexico, maintains that "humanity is nature". In fact, what is at the center is life. A life that each one tends to protect and to safeguard to its scale. Thus, whether it is perceived as a body or as a space, the territory defends itself.
Women, also sources of life, often contribute to the well-being and sustainable development of the community, as well as to the maintenance of ecosystems, biodiversity and natural resources of the planet.
In Mexico, coming from indigenous or non-western communities, many women resist and organize themselves, dedicating their lives to the defense of the territory.
We find them at the head of activist movements against industrial mega-projects, organizing themselves in cooperatives or collectives to preserve the culture of their people or initiating projects to raise awareness or safeguard the ecology.
But what is the real relationship of women to nature? How does the female body evolve in a constantly changing environment?
Through the exploration of the strength and resilience of these women in the face of the natural elements, this multimedia project is in search of the reflexive and sensory link that exists between them, taking as a common thread the concept of memory and identity.
-ESP-
La lingüista Yásnaya E. Aguilar, originaria de Ayutla Mixe (Oaxaca), México, sostiene que "la humanidad es naturaleza". De hecho, lo que está en el centro es la vida. Una vida que cada uno tiende a proteger y salvaguardar a su escala. Así, ya sea percibido como cuerpo o como espacio, el territorio se defiende.
Las mujeres, también fuentes de vida, a menudo contribuyen al bienestar y al desarrollo sostenible de la comunidad, así como al mantenimiento de los ecosistemas, la biodiversidad y los recursos naturales del planeta.
En México, provenientes de comunidades indígenas o no, muchas mujeres resisten y se organizan, dedicando su vida a la defensa del territorio.
Las encontramos a la cabeza de movimientos activistas contra megaproyectos industriales, organizándose en cooperativas o colectivos para preservar la cultura de sus pueblos o iniciando proyectos de sensibilización o salvaguarda de la ecología.
Pero, ¿cuál es la relación real de las mujeres con la naturaleza? ¿Cómo evoluciona el cuerpo femenino en un entorno en constante cambio?
A través de la exploración de la fuerza y la resistencia de estas mujeres frente a los elementos naturales, este proyecto multimedia busca el vínculo reflexivo y sensorial que existe entre ellas, tomando como hilo conductor el concepto de memoria e identidad.
Ahuehuete
-Conservar su identidad-
GABRIELA MORALES
Communidad Lacustre
Xochimilco, Ciudad de México
Gabriella cultivates her Chinampa, a family plot that she inherited from her grandparents in the Xochimilco basin, one of the last wetlands in Mexico City.
With a degree in biology, she wanted to develop her own, more sustainable production methods, based on the traditional agricultural techniques of Xochimilco, with the aim of safeguarding these quasi-floating plots created by the Aztecs in the 14th century. Faced with machismo and urbanisation that is eating away at the chinampas and degrading the quality of the water, she fights back by passing on her knowledge in workshops on chinampera farming practices and in rowing lessons that she gives to the women of her community.
-Investigation with Julien Delacourt -
Sound recording Julien Delacourt
Tichinda- Mejillon
-Conservar su tierra-
MUJERES DEL MANGLAR
Origen Chatinas
Zapotalito, Oaxaca
Since 2018, the cooperative "Mujeres del Manglar" has included among its tasks projects to counteract the environmental deterioration affecting the mangroves of the Palmarito channel and the Cerro Hermoso mouth - which cut the connection to the sea, as well as the community management of the tichinda, a purple snail.
-Investigation with Lizbeth Hernández-
Tenabaris - Capullito
-Conservar su cultura-
LOLO
Comunidad Yoreme Mayo
Ohuira, Sinaloa
Women from three indigenous communities oppose a petrochemical fertilizer plant project. They lead the struggle despite death threats and the gradual disappearance of their culture.
-Investigation with Gwendolina Duval-
Sound recording Gwendolina Duval
Tsïmbanio
-Defender el bosquet y su cultura ancestral -
MARIA TERESA BRAVO PERUCHO & COLECTIVO CULTURAL TSÏMBANIO
Comunidad Purépecha
Michoacan
Combating deforestation and drought caused by intensive avocado growing
-Investigation with Gwendolina Duval-
Huaxin
-Proteger la melipona-
LEOCADIA UITZ & AVIA SARITA HUCHIN / Colectivo Ka Kuxtal Much’Meyaj
Comunidad Maya
Holpenchen, Campeche
The honey of the Melipona bee, with its miraculous properties, is a precious jewel. This rare species, devoid of a sting, is revered as sacred by the Maya people. It also embodies the resistance of indigenous communities in the region of Los Chenes, nestled in the southeast of Mexico, against the ravages of agro-industry.
-Investigation with Gwendolina Duval-
Nichim
-Conservar su Arte-
MARIA LOPEZ RUIZ y MARIA PEREZ PEREZ
Comunidad Tzotzil & Tsajalch
Zinacantan, Chiapas
Intellectual property of collective cultural creations: ready-to-wear giants and major fashion brands rely heavily on the traditional textile craftsmanship of Mexico's indigenous communities. The two women are at the origin of a collective for the protection of their arts.
-Investigation with Emmanuelle Steels-
