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Feature-Length Cartoons
Series
Short Cartoons
Live-Action Kids' Movies
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THE EMPEROR'S NEW GROOVE Walt Disney Studios. Director: Mark Dindal Art directors: Thomas Cardone, Thomas Stimpson 2000. 77 minutes. Rated G. Setting: Ancient Incan Empire Language: English Availability: several DVD editions
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This entertaining comedy could have taken place anywhere, and at any time--
or at least, wherever there is a bratty emperor threatening to demolish
peasant lands to build a royal swimming pool. John Goodman is the peasant
Pacha who befriends the emperor (David Spade) who has been turned into a
llama. The film shows very little of Incan culture except for the wonderful
backgrounds, which creatively play upon motifs of Incan art and architecture.
Eartha Kitt and Patrick Warburton also provide voices, and Sting wrote an
original song for this film, which came out the same year as the very
similar The Road to El Dorado. The sequel, Kronk's New Groove
(2005), besides showing the usual decline in quality you'd expect from a
sequel, sheds the Incan theme altogether--it could pass for an episode of
The Flintstones.
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LA LEYENDA DE LA NAHUALA (The Legend of the Nahuala) Director: Ricardo Arnaiz. Writers: Antonio Garci, Omar Mustre. 2007. 82 minutes. Setting: Ciudad de Puebla, 1802. Language: Spanish Availability: DVD
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On the Day of the Dead in 1802, an easily-frightened boy named Leo must enter a haunted house to rescue his brother Nando, who has been captured by La Nahuala, a creatured from old Poblano legends. There is one Indian character, Xochitl, who is a ghost in the house, and other themes and images from indigenous or mestizo traditions. Unique, beautifully animated, with a great cast of characters. The DVD includes many extra features, including games for kids. |
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PATORUZITO Director: José Luis Massa Writers: Dante Quinterno, Axel Nacher, Omar Quiroga Music: Eduardo Frigerio 2004. 75 minutes. Setting: Patagonia, the present Language: Spanish Availability: DVD
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A Patoruzito le ha llegado, según la tradición de los Tehuelches, el momento de convertirse en el cacique de la tribu. Creció rodeado del amor de la Chacha, en la estancia, junto a Ñancul y Upita, y cuenta ya con el coraje y la bondad propia de su linaje, que siempre ha ofrendado su esfuerzo para que el bien prevaleciera sobre el mal. Pero para cumplir su destino, deberá antes enfrentar y vencer a peligrosos adversarios que harán lo imposible para evitarlo. Uno de sus enemigos es Cachicó, un envidioso indio de su misma edad, siempre acompañado por sus secuaces Tino y Moncho, quien encuentra en Patoruzito un obstáculo insalvable para sus codiciosas intenciones. El otro es Mr. Ferguson, un misterioso arqueólogo extranjero, obsesionado por acceder a un mítico lugar llamado "El Valle Perdido", tierra sagrada para los Tehuelches. Followed by Patoruzito 2: La gran aventura (2006). |
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POPOL VUH Director: Patricia Amlin 1988. 60 minutes. Rated G. Setting: ancient Guatemala Language: English Availability: only through libraries
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A one-hour cartoon adaptation of the ancient Quiche text. The
unusual animation is based on actual Mayan art, morphing back and forth from
still images to movement, authentic art to more stylized animation. The
intended audience seems to be children, but the slippery Ovidian transitions
between episodes and the overall weirdness may be disorienting to people
unfamiliar with the myths. This film will appeal best to those who are already
fans of Mayan culture. Patricia Amlin also directed Five Suns: A Sacred
History of Mexico. Click here to see images
from Popol Vuh.
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THE ROAD TO EL DORADO Dreamworks Studios Directors: Don Paul, Bibo Bergeron Writers: Terry Rossio, Ted Elliott 2000. 89 minutes. Rated PG. Setting: a Mayan city, 1512. Language: English Availability: DVD
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Tulio and Miguel are a couple of Spanish con artists (played by Kevin Klein
and Kenneth Branaugh) who flee from the police by jumping on a
boat which takes them to the New World. There they try to convince the
locals that they are gods, aided by the curvaceous theif Chel (Rosie Perez).
Taking advantage of tensions between the emperor (Edward James Olmos) and
the religious leader (Armand Assante), the two rogues manage to put an end
to human sacrifice while also scoring a treasure of gold. The humor works
principally through an annoyingly contemporary sarcasm, expressed through
Tulio and Miguel's cliche buddy-banter. The voices, facial expressions,
and gestures are all reproduced with slavish accuracy to 1990s pop culture,
leaving little screentime for Mayan culture. However, the background artwork
sumptuous--the architecture, artifacts, jungles, and costumes are all so
beautiful that no one should mind the historical inaccuracies. And the
special effects (if that is the right term when discussing animation) used
for the magic sequences are also impressive. This film came out the same
year as Disney's The Emperor's New Groove. Although Disney's Incan
cartoon is funnier, Dreamwork's Mayan adventure sports better artwork, and
will probably appeal more to fans of Indian culture.
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| CARTOON SERIES: | ||
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BIBLIOTECA SER INDÍGENA Animation: Jorge Bizama Setting: Chile Language: Spanish (no subtitles) Availability: videotecaserindigena.org
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Three three-minute cartoons based on traditional tales from Chile: "Saire - Agua de lluvia" - Flood story of the Atacamenos "Kai Kai y Ten-Ten Vilu - Las serpientes del agua y de la tierra" - Mapuche creation myth "Domo y Lituche: La creación del mundo Mapuche" - Another Mapuche creation myth The cartoons are drawn in a very unique, original style, with white line drawings over a black background and spare, effective use of color. Check them out!
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CRISTIAN SOLIS Director: Cristián Solís Animation: Editorial Amanuta 2003. Setting: pre-columbian Chile Language: Spanish (no subtitles) or English Availability: Youtube
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This is a series of short cartoons (two to four minutes) about the various pueblos
originarios de Chile, including the Mapuche (Araucanos), Selknam (Onas), Maori (Easter
Islanders), Atacameños (Lakan Antay), Yamana (Yaganes), Tehuelches (Patagonians), and
Aymara. Some of the cartoons are
documentary-like, showing the Indians' way of life, while others dramatize myths.
They are all available in Spanish and English on the Youtube channel CRISTIANSOLISW at
http://www.youtube.com/user/CRISTIANSOLISW.
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ERASE UNA VEZ... LAS AMERICAS (Once Upon A Time... The Americas) Director/writer: Albert Barillé 1991. Setting: North and South America Language: French or Spanish Availability: region 2 DVD
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Original French title: Il était une fois... les Amériques.
26 animated episodes of the history of Native Americans from pre-Columbian times to the
European invasion to the present.
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HACEDORES DE LAS PALABRAS (Word Makers) Setting: Mexico, various regions Language: Spanish and several indigenous languages Availability: online
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A series of 25 very short cartoons in various media, written and drawn by indigenous
children and produced by the Mexican government agency CDI (Comisión Nacional para el
Desarrollo de los Pueblos Indígenas). Some are stories; others show aspects of daily life.
All are available in Spanish with Spanish subtitles, and some also have audio and subtitles
in Otomi, Nahautl, Yucatec Mayan, and other indigenous languages.
http://hacedores.emexico.gob.mx/veuncuento/veuncuento.jsp
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MYSTERIOUS CITIES OF GOLD Director: Howard Ryshpan. Writer: Scott O'Dell. 1982-1983. 1160 minutes. Rated G. Setting: Peru, 1532. Language: Japanese (English dubs) Availability: DVD
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This was a Japanese TV series that ran for 39 episodes in 1982 and 1983
(the original Japanese title is Taiyô no ko Esteban.) In 1532,
Esteban, an orphan in Spain, travels to the Americas to search for his father.
He meets an Incan girl named Zia, and Tao, last descendent of the sunken city of
Hiva. The three kids have adventures among the Incans, Mayans, and Olmecs. Based on
a story by acclaimed children's writer Scott O'Dell.
The six-DVD set, dubbed into English, with all 39 episodes with assorted bonus features,
was released in 2009.
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NAZCA Directors: Hiroko Tokita, Benito Rabal 1990, 1998. 300 minutes. Setting: ancient Peru; modern Japan Language: Japanese (English dubs) Availability: out-of-print DVD & VHS
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A Japanese martial arts student travels back in time to pre-Colombian Peru.
16 episodes available on four 75-minute DVDs.
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| SHORT CARTOONS: | ||
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EL BOSQUE AUN VIVE Director: Jesús Pérez 1995. 12 minutes. Setting: Bolivian jungle Language: Spanish
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Muestra la cotidianidad de una familia chiman, a través de un niño que
nace y crece en el bosque junto a sus amigos: un mono y un tucán. Aprende
los oficios de este medio. En su primer día de caza se encuentra y conoce
los espíritus del bosque, sigue su tarea con valentía, recorre todo el
bosque y llega hasta sus márgenes encontrando la carretera que le muestra
el límite de su mundo y el paso más próximo hacia la ciudad, ambos
espacios completamente diferentes y contrapuestos.
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LOS CHULPAS Director: Alex Moya 2007. 7 minutes. Setting: Atacama Desert, Chile Language: Spanish
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In the days before the sun existed, the "Chulpas," ancient beings of the
Atacama desert of Chile, worshipped the moon.
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LA CREACION SELK'NAM: Un mito de Tierra del Fuego Museo Chileno del Arte Precolombino Creators: Colectivo El Kenós, Claudio Mercado, Alejandra Muñoz Music: Claudio Mercado, Alejandro Munoz, Sergio Figueroa 2005. 15 minutes. Setting: Sky, earth Language: Spanish Availability: online (no subtitles)
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Abstract video illustrated with shadow puppets and special effects.
According to the description, it tells how
the great god Temaukel created Kenós, who in turn created the world and
humans. From the Selk'nam ancestors arose the mountains, wind, animals
and stars. The story may not be easily discernible, but this strange
short film and its eerie indigenous music create the mood of wonder that
must have inspired the original myth makers. Available online
at the Museo Chileno de Arte Precolombino:
http://www.precolombino.cl/es/audiovisual/video.php
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CUANDO LO DICEN Y LO PINTAN LOS NIÑOS (When Children Tell It and Paint It) Alas y Raíces a los Niños / Instituto Mexicano de la Cinematografía Director: Dominique Jonard Music: Eduardo Solís Marín; 2001. 40 minutes. Setting: Tarahumara; Chiapas; Tijuana; San Diego, Cal. Language: Spanish Availability: VHS
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A collection of three cartoons with plots, drawings, and voices provided
by children: "Raramuri, Pie Ligero" (10 min.) is a tale of a footrace
among the Raramuri Indians of the Sierra Tarahumara. "Santo Golpe"
(10 min.) tells of a bus heist among the Tzeltal and Tzotzil Indians
of Chiapas. "Un Brinco Pa' Allá" (20 min.) is a border-crossing tale
about kids traveling from Tijuana to San Diego, California. The animation is
crude but charming, and the kids' voices make these cartoons hilarious.
Director Dominique Jonard has created many other Indigenous-themed cartoons
not collected in this video (too many to list!).
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ELAL Y LOS ANIMALES (Elal and the Animals) Director/writer: Ana María Pávez Animation: Carmen Cardemil Music: Claudio Mercado, Pichimuchina, Vicente Villalobos 2007. 15 minutes. Setting: Patagonia, Chile Language: Spanish Availability: online (no subtitles)
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Creation myths of the Aonikenk, or Tehuelche, a people who dwelt in southern
Patagonia and died out in the 1930s. This cartoon tells of the creation
of the earth, and of the giant Noshtex, who becomes jealous of his clever
son Elal. To save the boy, his mother the mouse and other animals take
him to Patagonia where his father cannont find him. Elal gives each animal a gift
to thank them for saving him. Beautifully animated with a variety of
fabrics and textures. Available online
at the Museo Chileno de Arte Precolombino:
http://www.precolombino.cl/es/audiovisual/video.php
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THE EMPEROR'S TREASURE Director: Diane Paloma Eskenazi 2004. 45 minutes. Setting: Ancient Incan Empire Language: English Availability: DVD
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A young man travels to Macchu Pichu to illustrate his father's archaeological book. He somehow slips into the past and meets the ancient Incas. The animation is adequate, but the story, characters, and humor are utterly vapid and lifeless. Not recommended. |
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EN AGOSTO (In August) Directors/writers/cinematographers: Andrés Barrientos, Carlos Andrés Reyes Music: Sinapis, Sergio A. Trujillo 2008. 14 minutes. Setting: Bogota, Colombia Language: Spanish
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A staggeringly ambitious animated film about the precise moment when the world comes to
an end. Veronica, a young indignenous woman walks by a bridge in a partially flooded
Bogota that never stops raining. Veronica has the feeling that something bad is going to
happen. Pedro, an elderly man, awaits the arrival of the end of the world prophetized by
Isabel, his dead wife. She never failed in any of her predictions. In their visions the
world's future shall be revealed. Sinopsis en español: En el futuro, Verónica, una joven indígena, camina por un puente en una Bogotá parcialmente inundada y en la que no para de llover. Verónica intuye que algo malo va a ocurrir y acelera su paso. En el presente, Pedro, un anciano, espera la llegada del fin del mundo en un día y una hora que su difunta esposa, profetizó; Nunca falló alguna de sus predicciones. Verónica y Pedro están unidos por una visión y una realidad.
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HAPUNDA Director/animator: Dominique Jonard Writers: Enrique Soto, Dominique Jonard Music: Valeria Jonard 2004. 4 minutes. Setting: Michoacan, 16th century Language: Spanish
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A Purepecha legend based on drawings from the 16th century manuscript, Relación
de Michoacán. In the Island of Yunven in Lake Patzcuaro the princess Hapunda lived in
harmony with the lake and vowed to stay by its side. And then the warriors came. Sinopsis en español: Recreación de una leyenda purhépecha basada en dibujos de la “Relación de Michoacán”, manuscrito del siglo XVI. En la isla de Yunven del lago de Patzcuaro vive la princesa Hapunda en armonía con el lago, con el cual hizo un juramento de permanecer a su lado. La llegada de unos guerreros a la isla rompe la tranquilidad de esta, e impide que Hapunda cumpla su promesa.
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MACHU PICCHU POST Directors/animators: Novali Nicolas, Durand Rival Margaux y Crocq Clement 2008. 5 minutes. Setting: Machu Picchu Language: none Availability: Youtube
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A boy and his llama wait for the postal airplane to arrive in Machu Picchu. When the airplane
wanders into a cloud, it comes under the control of the boy's imagination. A French
production, but without words. Available on its own website or on Youtube: http://machupicchupost.free.fr http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uGKp7YBNvIU Sinopsis en español: Un niño que vive con su llama en Machu Pichu, recibe la visita del correo aéreo con gran entusiasmo, su imaginación le llevará a poner al piloto en un gran aprieto...
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LOS MUISCAS Directors/animators: Alejandro Cabal, Carlos Andres Poggio 2008. 7 minutes. Setting: Colombia Language: Spanish Availability: Youtube
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The creation of the earth and its people according to the Muisca people of Colombia.
This is one of the most amazing animated films on Youtube. Check it out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4yN4gZsPVy8 Sinopsis en español: Según la mitología de los Muiscas el universo, su mundo y su pueblo fueron creados, formados por y eran diferentes deidades: Chiminigagua (la luz), Baque (el universo), Bachue (la madre de la humanidad), Chia (el caos), Goranchacha (el primer zaque), Chibchacum (el dios de la tierra) y Bochica (el benefactor, el educador). Esta es su historia.
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THE MONKEY PEOPLE Rabbit Ears Productions. Director: 1991. 30 minutes. Setting: Amazon rainforest Language: English Availability: VHS (for institutions)
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This Rabbit Ears series, Children's Classics from Around the World,
features famous actors contributing the narration and famous musicians
providing the soundtrack. For The Monkey People we have Raúl
Julia (The Burning Season) as narrator and Larry Carlton on guitar
to tell the traditional story of lazy rainforest dwellers who discovered
they could cut out paper monkeys to do their work for them. The animation
is rather simple, in the silhouette style of Chinese shadow theater (similar to Maurice
Pommier's illustrations for the Lecturas de la historia books for
children), and with little movement. Despite the celebrity contributions,
the artwork is not quite captivating enough to hold the attention of the
children to who seem to be the intended audience.
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PAJERAMA
Director/writer: Leonardo Cadaval Animation: Leonardo Cadaval, Sérgio Menehira Music: Ruggero Ruschioni 2007. 9 minutes. Setting: rainforest Language: none (no dialogue) Availability: vimeo.com |
A boy out hunting comes across a monolith similar to the one in 2001: A Space
Odyssey. Soon after this apparition, he starts having strange encounters with
shocking noises and images from the modern industrial world outside the forest. He
narrowly escapes these encounters and returns home to his father. Great
computer-generated animation brilliantly portrays the culture clash with humor and pathos.
pajé means medicine man, so the title suggests something like the visions created
by a medicine man. You can watch the entire film at
http://vimeo.com/4873626
Resumo em português:
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POPOL VUH Centro Cultural Palácio La Moneda de Chile Director: Ana María Pávez Music: Claudio Mercado, La Chimuchina, proyecto Huaylla-Kepa 2006. 11 minutes. Setting: Earth; Xibalba Language: Spanish Availability: online (no subtitles)
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This Chilean-made cartoon tells the Mayan story of the creation of the world and the
demigods Hunahpu and Ixbalanque, who survive a series of tricks and attacks
by the gods of the underworld, and are ultimately and are transformed into the sun
and the moon. The art is based on codices, paintings, pottery, and stone
carvings of the Quiche Mayans ranging from 300-900 AD. Available online
at the Museo Chileno de Arte Precolombino:
http://www.precolombino.cl/es/audiovisual/video.php
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UN POQUITO DE... Centro Cultural Palácio La Moneda de Chile Director: Dominique Jonard 2003. 15 minutes. Setting: Morelos, Mexico Language: Spanish
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Un volcán hace erupción y asusta a la sombra de uno de los habitantes de la comunidad.
Diferentes elementos como el amaranto, alimento prehispánico con el que se produce un
dulce llamado alegría; el Popocatépetl, volcán emblemático de México, el mercado y su
ancestral práctica del trueque, proporcionan el marco para certificar un hecho singular
que nos llevará a conocer las prácticas mágicas de las mujeres curanderas para que la
sombra regrese al cuerpo al cual pertenece. Con voces de los niños de Almicingo y
Hueyapan, Morelos.
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ROKUNGA: EL ULTIMO HOMBRE PAJARO (Rokunga, the Last Man Bird) Director: Erwin Gómez Viñales Writers: Erwin Gómez, Gonzalo Oyarzún,Ignacio Iriarte Animators: Erwin Gómez, Mauricio Pérez, Marcelo Flores Music: Miguel Lara 2006. 11 minutes. Setting: Rapa Nui, 1866 Language: Spanish
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This 3D cartoon shows the annual spring ceremony in the honor of Make Make, Creator God, at the
time of the finding of the first bird egg in Rapa Nui. It culminated with the
naming of the Tangata Manu, the sacred Birdman. Each year, the representatives of
different tribes would climb the Kau volcano to celebrate the election of Tangata Manu,
who became the political and military head of the island for a year.
Sinopsis en español: La mágica recreación de la última ceremonia del hombre pájaro que se celebró en Isla de Pascua. La historia se ambienta en una Rapa Nui sumida en el caos, la enfermedad y la llegada de un nuevo dios. En esas circunstancias, Rokunga es el elegido por el dios Make Make. Los personajes de esta historia animada -la primera en 3d que llega al cine en Chile- son producto de un largo trabajo de diseño inspirado en figuras talladas en madera.
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LA SIRENA AALAMATZIN (The Mermaid Aalamatzin) Director: Jaime Cruz 1999. 27 minutes. Setting: Xalitla, Guerrero, Mexico Language: Náhuatl Availability: VHS
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Cartoon based on a myth from Guererro, Mexico. A man angers the mermaid
Aalamatzin when
he fishes in her river to feed his mistress instead of his family. The
mermaid demands his son as payment. The boy escapes into the forest and
wins the friendship of various animals by feeding them with
his own meager resources. A grateful eagle gives the boy wings so he can
fly back to his family. The animation is quite different from U.S. cartoons,
marvelously suited to its mythic subjects. You can view a clip at
www.ciesas.edu.mx/jaff/multimedia.html
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TAINA-KAN, A GRANDE ESTRELA (Taina-Kan, The Great Star) Director: Adriana Figuereido 2005, 16 minutes. Setting: Araguaia River Valley, Brazil Language: Portuguese
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A digital animation of a Karaja legend that explains the origin of agriculture as a gift
of Tainá-Kan, or the big star Venus, who comes to earth in the form of a man. The tale
tells of two sisters, Imaerô, who is selfish, and Denakè,
whose nature is more ambiguous and elusive. Imaerô wishes upon her favorite star for it
to come to Earth as a man so she can marry him. But when he complies and arrives, he is
(in her eyes) “old and ugly,” and she is revulsed. Denakè suddenly appears upon her
sister’s retreat, suggesting they are opposite aspects of a single nature or character,
and entreats Tainá-Kan to remain so she can take care of him. Plainly, she is principally
motivated by her wish to cast her sister in a bad starlight; she quips that she already
knew that stars are ancient. Writer-director Adriana Figueiredo keeps to the competitive
sister-thing, for now that he and Denakè are a couple Imaerô sees Tainá-Kan as young and
handsome. Tainá-Kan provides his wife’s people with a plantation of new vegetables and
fruits, including corn and watermelon, that will keep them well fed; he takes stars from
the heavens that become seeds for growing the crops. Ultimately he leaves Earth to return
to the heavens with wife and children, who sparkle in a new constellation. Those who wish
to reduce this story to a simple fable perhaps miss the point of Tainá-Kan’s own motive
for coming down: to be flattered up close by Imaerô's idolatrous attention. Hers was a
show of affection and commitment, not the reality; similarly, her sister delivered a show
of unselfish love, to which Tainá-Kan responded. But even such a display of generosity,
whatever the motivation, yields greater generosity, because the mimicry of good behavior
increases good behavior. Motives are less important than what people do.
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TALES FROM THE LATIN AMERICAN INDIANS Video Knowledge, Inc. Director: Fernando Benítez. 1986. 34 minutes. Setting: Mexico, Puerto Rico. Language: Spanish Availability: VHS
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Part of the Exotic Tales from Exotic Lands series, this film
contains four stories: "La Leyenda de Quetzalcoatl" (Aztec/Mayan/Toltec),
"La Leyenda de Loiza" (Puerto Rico), "La Magia del Quetzal" (Guatemala),
and "El Aguila y la serpiente" (Aztec). This film just barely qualifies as
animation, since the pictures don't even move, and they are not even good
drawings to begin with.
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TIERRA Y TERRITORIO CEFREC - CAIB Directors: Esteban Espejo, Oscar Sejas 2005. 31 minutes. Setting: Bolivia Language: Spanish
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Desde diferentes ópticas y aportes se analiza la realidad de la tierra y territorio. En
las regiones altas y bajas de Bolivia, se denuncian situaciones injustas y se manifiestan
propuestas desde las organizaciones y comunidades desde la perspectiva de convocatoria a
una asamblea nacional constituyente.
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XÁNI XÉPICA (¡Este flojo!) (Lazy Boy) Director/writer: Dominique Jonard Music: Grupo Huapanekua 2007. 7 minutes. Setting: Michoacan, Mexico Language: Purhepecha
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A folktale about a young man, José, whose laziness gets him in trouble. When he wants to marry
Atzimba, her father gives him various tasks in the mountains. Voices and drawings by
Purepecha children.
El futuro suegro de José pone a su yerno a prueba mandándolo a diversas Tareas en el monte pero la astucia no es compañera del muchacho.
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EL ZORRO Y EL CONDOR (The Fox and the Condor) Museo Chileno del Arte Precolombino and Chimuchina Records Directors: Claudio Mercado, Patricia Rodríguez Music: Claudio Mercado, La Chimuchina 2002. 12 minutes. Setting: Sky, earth Language: Spanish Availability: online (no subtitles)
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Crude stop-motion animation tells the story of how the condor brought the
fox up to the clouds and then left him there, and how the fox climbed
down a rope bringing seeds, but then fell, scattering the seeds across
the earth and creating all the plants. Based on a folktale from Ayquina,
in the north of Chile.
Available online
at the Museo Chileno de Arte Precolombino:
http://www.precolombino.cl/es/audiovisual/video.php
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MAX IS MISSING Director: Mark Griffiths Writer: Gordon Cassidy, Mark Griffiths Cinematography: Blake T. Evans Music: Arthur Kempel 1995. 95 minutes. Rated PG. Setting: Machu Picchu, Cusco, and points in between Language: English, occasional Spanish and Quechua Availability: DVD
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Max (Toran Caudell) is the snotty son of an American archaeologist;
Juanito (Victor Rojas) is a savvy teen huckster who makes his living
from tourists on the Inca Trail. The two boys find themselves pulled
into a caper over a 15th-century gold
huaca sought by two criminals. In the course of their caper Juanito learns
that money isn't everything, and Max learns that, when you're poor,
money is everything. Humor, action and plot twists make this Showtime production
a fairly satisfying slice of family entertainment.
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SECRET OF THE ANDES
Director: Alejandro Azzano Writer: Alejandro Azzano, Bernardo Nante Cinematography: Maximo Munzi Music: Luis Bacalov 1998. 99 minutes. Rated PG. Setting: Jucaitambo (fictional town in Bolivia) Language: English Availability: DVD
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Diana, a mischievous 10-year-old, goes to Bolivia to see her father, an archaeologist
searching for half of the golden disc that once belonged to Incan emperor Huascar (the
other half being in a New York museum). With the help of the mystic Don Benito and his
teenage son,
Diana finds the disc in a hidden temple. With only a little more effort, Secret of the Andes could have been a quality film, but the hokey humor and a few bad apples in the cast make the film a chore to watch, despite the effective music and cinematography.
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TAINA: UMA AVENTURA NA AMAZONIA
Directors: Sérgio Bloch, Tania Lamarca Writers: Claudia Levay, Reinaldo Moraes Cinematography: Marcello Corpanni Music: Luiz Avellar Editing: Diana Vasconcellos 2001. 90 minutes. Setting: Brazilian Amazon Language: Portuguese Availability: DVD in South America only
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Taina (Eunice Baía) is a little girl living in the Amazon. After the death of her parents
and grandfather she wanders from her home and is taken in by Isabel (Branca Camargo), a
white scientist studying herbal medicine. Taina discovers many foes among civilization:
Isabel's jealous son Joninho; a poacher who wants to steal Taina's pet monkey, Catu; and
a rival scientist who tries to thwart Isabel's discovery of a jungle fever vaccine.
Beautiful footage of the jungle and its creatures make this film enjoyable for kids and
adults.
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| CARTOONS NOT YET REVIEWED: | ||
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Aguas con el Botas (Dominique Jonard, Mexico, 1994, 10 min.) Aztec Legend (Eduardo Cisneros, 2004) Barrio lindo (Pedro Vivas Francia, Bolivia, 8 min) [Narra las aventuras y vicisitudes de dos niños que se conocen en un barrio marginal de La Paz y surge una amistad entre ellos.] Changing World (Jaqui Pope, 1988, 4 min.) Shows how tractors and trucks are opening up the forest and changing the lives of the Indians. Cuentos de la serpiente emplumada (1989) En camino (Jésus Pérez, Bolivia, 1996, 14 min.) [An Aymara family travels from Potosi to the tropics in search of a good place to live.] Fantasma de la milpa (Ghost of the Corn Field) (2 min.) En la comunidad Triqui de la Sierra Alta de Oaxaca, los niños juegan a la pelota muy cerca de una milpa. De pronto, la pelota escapa de sus manos y se introduce en la milpa, uno de los jugadores de pelota corre y se adentra en la milpa para rescatar la pelota y continuar el juego. Hecho por niñas y niños Triquis. Five Suns: A Sacred History of Mexico (Patricia Amlin, 1996, 55 min.) A fundaçao do Brasil (Mô Toledo, 1980, 7 min.) Historia de las relaciones de trabajo entre los blancos, indios y negros durante la colonización del Brasil. Mario el lustrabotas (Jesús Pérez) El Mito de Peribo (Félix Nakamura, 1988, Venezuela, 8 min.) [A Yanomami myth. After a great flood there was only one house left, but the man and woman who lived there didn't get along.] Animación de figuras de plastilina que recrea un mito yanomami. Después del Diluvio había una sola casa en la tierra, y ahí vivían los yanomami. Uno de ellos era Peribo, quien tenía como esposa a una muchacha de nombre Xidikariyoma. Esta mujer no quería a su esposo, trataba continuamente de huir y ocultarse. Moon, Jungle, Fire and Earth (Pier Brinkman, Brazil, 20 min) [Usando la técnica de animación fotográfica, son recreadas cientos de diapositivas de varios grupos indígenas de las selvas tropicales de Brasil. Su vida, sus ritos y juegos aparecen junto a la advertencia de la amenaza que representa para su supervivencia la explotación indiscriminada de sus tierras y recursos.] Muñeca de maiz (Corn Doll) (Marisol Barragán, Bolivia, 1989) Paulina y el Condor (Marisol Barragán, Bolivia, 1995, 10 min.) [An Aymara girl journeys from the altiplano to La Paz.] Starlore (Faith Hubley, 1984, 9 min., English, US/Guatemala production) El film narra varios mitos de creación relacionados con el sol, la luna y otros elementos del firmamento. Un mito maya narra un juego de pelota cósmico, siguen un mito campa, uno yahgan, tupi, pawnee, finalizando con uno inuit. El sueño de los hombres (Armando Arce, 1986, 10 min.) Inspirada en un antiguo mito indígena makiritare, narra la creación de la mujer y el hombre. Tabey (Juan Padrón, Cuba, 1974, 8 min) Se trata de una historia sobre indígenas y conquistadores. Tabey escapa de los caribes y es rescatado por los españoles a caballo. Estos simulan amistad para finalmente emplear a los indios en la búsqueda de oro. Los guerreros taino se organizan, atacan y ponen en fuga a los españoles. Teco, el niño mojeño (Rubén Machado, Bolivia, 2004, 10 min.) Teco, un pequeño niño, conoce la historia de su pueblo de una manera misteriosa después de conversar con el Espíritu del Bosque, El Sol y La Luna. La tierra está enferma (Jesús Pérez) Titiri We: El canto de la noche (Viveca Baiz, 10 min.) Recreating a Yanomami myth, this film tells the story of the creation of the night. An indigenous family, tired of the heat and light of the sun, fatally wound a black Paují bird in flight. With every drop of blood that falls from the bird a new Paují is born which takes flight and blocks the sun from view. Before the astonished eyes of the humans, night has begun. El mito de la creación de la noche recogido entre los Parimi-Theri del río Uraricoera en Brasil. Una pareja de indígenas, extenuados por la luz y el calor hieren mortalmente a un paují en vuelo y de cada gota de sangre que derrama el ave por su herida, nace un nuevo paují. Se forma una bandada que al alzar el vuelo, cubre el sol, surgiendo la noche, ante la mirada asombrada de los humanos. Tlacuilo (Enrique Escalone, 1984, 56 min., Venezuela) Demuestra que los códices prehispánicos eran escrituras, que podían leerse "literalmente", ya que estaban hechos atendiendo a una estructura de signos con significados precisos. Ultimo elote (The last corn stalk) (2 min.) Dos campesinos triques comparte el maíz de la cosecha de su milpa. Un buen día el calor es tan intenso que provoca una severa sequía que acaba con casi toda la cosecha al grado que tan sólo queda una mazorca con un elote. Los campesinos al desesperarse por no tener que comer pelean entre ellos el último elote que queda de su cosecha. Hecho por niñas y niños Triquis. Upa en apuros (Tito Davison, 1942, 12 min.) Wirandé (Tomorrow) (Wilson Lazaretti & Mauricio Squarisi, Brazil, 1992, 5 min.) [Drawings by native and urban children from Amazonias show their daily life.] | ||
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