Maize in Times of War

The struggle of indigenous farmers in Mexico who are trying to maintain traditional practices in the face of varied pressures—including the danger posed by drug cartels, the rapaciousness of ranchers, and encouragement from powerful corporations to use genetically modified seeds—is chronicled in filmmaker Alberto Cortés’s documentary, which follows four families over the course of a year as they clear their fields, plant and harvest crops, and make their food. The families live in different parts of Mexico: two are Tseltals residing in the Chiapas highlands of the south, a third is Wixáritari (or Huichol) in the west-central state of Jalisco, and the fourth is Ayuuk (or Mixe), living in the southern state of Oaxaca. All, however, practice the traditional agricultural system of milpa: burning off the area to be cultivated, mixing the ashes into the soil, and planting a variety of nutritionally and environmentally complementary crops, including maize (corn). After several seasons, the area is left fallow for years before being planted again. Cortés shows how all of the family members participate in the process, preserving a centuries-old rhythm that exhibits reverence for both the land and the varieties of maize traditionally grown. The farmers’ adherence to the ways of their ancestors explains why Mexico continues to ban the planting of transgenic corn even as other countries have permitted and encouraged the practice. Cortés’s film quietly celebrates the commitment of people who, despite external pressures, insist on living in conformity with the natural agricultural cycle and the traditions in which they were raised. Recommended. Aud: C, P. (F. Swietek)