Nicolas Défossé

In this deeply moving dialogue between mother and son, Mexican Tzotzil director Xun Sero confronts his past with honesty, understanding and forgiveness. Growing up without a father, he blamed his mother for the paternal absence in his life; this, for him, became his first act of violence against the feminine and his own mother. Societal pressure and shame prevented his mother from speaking about the realities of violence in her childhood and within her partnership with the director's father. Guided by the desire to understand who his mother is, Sero has created an extraordinarily sensitive first film where both mother and son open a dialogue in an attempt at self-discovery. Bravely, together, they open the door to a room of darkness and unknowns and begin to walk down a path of healing.

Mayan culture still thrives among the Tzotzil people of San Andrés Larrainzar, a town in southeastern Mexico. Each inhabitant shares responsibility for the collective well-being but only a few are called upon to serve the gods—often in a dream.

Chiapas, southeastern Mexico. When the inhabitants of several villages and towns expel the mayor and the police from their territory, they face the challenge of self-government.