Though often slow and pastoral, Nudo Mixteco is a modern and dynamic drama about the return of three people to the town of their birth, San Mateo. The film has some obvious segments where there is a focus on a single protagonist and story, though there is some intermixing of narratives and backtracking through time. Using some of the classic themes of Southern Gothic, each protagonist is brought home by some sudden family obligation: For Maria (Sonia Couoh) it is the death of her mother, Esteban (Noé Hernández) returns to see his long-estranged wife and child, and Toña (Myriam Bravo) must claim her daughter from her mother’s care.
The theme of crossing paths begins as the funeral procession for Maria’s mother passes the town square where Esteban and his wife Chabela (Aida López) make their private marriage issues public, then again as Toña and her mother join the funeral procession. These first few intersecting journeys become clear as they are revisited from Esteban and Toña’s points of view. This pensive drama comes to a head for each of the main characters in their own time and ends in a display of beautiful cinematography.
The biggest issue I can find with Nudo Mixteco is the lack of a more common thread or interplay between the stories. The theme of crossing paths is there, but it doesn’t come across as meaningful. The official English summation of this film does not do it justice; while there are portions dedicated to sexuality, the main theme lies more in the experience of people raised in rural places returning home after finishing school or seeking work to find the same financial problems and familial troubles that drove them away. It is Mixtecan Southern Gothic.
While there is a lesbian romance between Maria and Piedad (Eileen Yañez), this is not simply a queer film. Esteban and Chabela’s story explores infidelity and spousal abuse and Toña’s story centers around childhood sexual abuse. This content should be taken into consideration when making patron recommendations. That being said, the surprisingly dynamic camerawork and staging make this a must-see drama with striking color and intriguing dramatic elements. Nudo Mixteco is an excellent choice for drama and Spanish language collections in libraries.