In rural areas across Mexico, a shadow war rages. Hungry for natural resources, multinational corporations chew through the mountainsides and valleys, pumping fetid fluids to frack natural gas and polluting the air and water with mining and factory farming. The White Guard looks at survivors of these corporations’ veiled attacks on local communities. Hiring local gangs to run their intimidation racket, the corporations hope to cash in on the people’s misery. With numerous soundscapes and beautiful footage, we get a glimpse into the world of Indigenous resistance to modern colonialism.
I’ve got to get my negative critique out of the way: I feel like the artsy nature of The White Guard eats into its credibility somewhat. While the shots and sounds are lush and beautiful, they take up all the space that could be used for exposé-style corroboration or other more informative qualities, which people expect from a documentary. By focusing on the narrative present in the stories of these subjects, we tread too close to the realm of conspiracy theory at times because all we have is the speaker’s word. For people unfamiliar with this topic, the film will be confusing and unconvincing. It also made me feel starved for information, even as someone with some familiarity with the topic.
With that out of the way, we can discuss the real strengths of The White Guard, and that is giving us one hundred and nine minutes of pure exposition from native locals and resistors. Through their words, we learn their feelings and struggles with depopulation, violent threats, and environmental racism. The soothing sounds of nature and quiet village life are at odds with the sounds of material extraction, and these incongruences are mirrored in the film’s visuals, creating an oddly grotesque and beautiful experience. While its narrative style does diminish the film’s ability to appeal to a broad audience, those interested in Indigenous lives, resistance movements, and the geopolitics of Mexico will be very happy to see The White Guard on library shelves. Highly Recommended.
Where can academic librarians purchase or license The White Guard for classroom use and public performance rights?
Academic librarians can obtain The White Guard—including classroom and public performance rights—directly from EPF Media, the film’s educational distributor. EPF Media offers both DVD and streaming licenses tailored for college libraries, faculty use, and campus film programming.
Which academic courses or departments can use this documentary as a teaching resource?
The White Guard is highly relevant for courses in Environmental Humanities, Latin American Studies, Indigenous Studies, Political Ecology, and Media Studies. Academic librarians building collections that support teaching with film or classes focused on global resistance movements, colonialism, or community activism will find this documentary to be a great tool for sparking discussion.