The Day of the Dead: A Celebration of Family and Life

Often wrongly assumed to be Mexico's answer to America's celebration of Halloween, the Day of the Dead (usually held October 31-November 2) has become one of the most recognized holidays on the Hispanic calendar. Derived from Aztec, Mayan, and Incan festivals, El Diá de los Muertos finds Hispanics honoring their dead with music, art, dance, storytelling, processions, and colorful altars decorated with flowers, photos, and mementos, while also enjoying food such as candied skulls, "dead bread," and pudding. Far from being a morbid event, the holiday is a time of recollection and healing. Filmmaker Stephanie Heredia's documentary is a celebration of the Day of the Dead, combining interviews with celebrants, footage of original art and altars to the loved and lost, and excerpts from concerts and dance events. Unfortunately, after a strong beginning the film loses its focus and tends toward repetition, concluding with a final half-hour of tedious, unedited concert footage. Because of the numerous references to area musicians and artists, southern California libraries might want to pick this up, but this overlong documentary is strictly a marginal purchase for others. Aud: P. (S. Rees)