Programmed August 2024

Directed by Juan Pablo González

The rhythms, rituals, and richness of life in rural Mexico come into revelatory focus in the meditative, exquisitely observed films of Juan Pablo González. Turning his ever-patient camera on the people and landscapes of his hometown in the state of Jalisco, González works across documentary and narrative—often in collaboration with his subjects—to tell intimate stories of family, grief, and resilience that touch on wider issues of globalization, politics, and the tension between tradition and modernity. From an evocative immersion into a village haunted by suicide ( Caballerango ) to a poignant portrait of a woman struggling to keep her tequila factory afloat ( Dos Estaciones ), González’s films counter prevailing stereotypes to show a rarely seen slice of Mexico in all its complexity.