The story begins at the entrance of a narrow tunnel, in the middle of the mountains of Northern Mexico. Since only one car can drive at the time, we are waiting for our turn! We drive the 2km of the tunnel, then in the distance the light of the exit appears. As we pass the bright tunnel’s end, time freezes. The hands of the watch wind up at high speed. As if we had returned into time. Horses walking on the cobblestones, artisans selling colorful beadworks and yarn art, children playing in the street. The roads are winding and thin between the stoned houses. The air is pure and old. We have arrived in Real de Catorce. Luisa lodges us in her humble casita and as night falls, the air cools. We put on our ponchos, sit around a wood fire and multiple stories are told.
This village is said to be the cocoon of the Wixárika culture. One of the oldest indigenous cultures in Mexico, practicing their belief like their ancestor did centuries ago in their sacred place. According to the legend, the Wixárika people were suffering from a prolonged drought and famine, and their prayers to their deities for rain went unanswered. One day, a group of 14 Wixárika elders set out on a pilgrimage to the sacred mountain of Wirikuta, where they hoped to find a solution to their problems. As they climbed the mountain, they came upon a deer that had been caught in a trap set by a group of Spanish hunters. The Wixárika elders freed the deer and, in return, the deer led them to a hidden spring that was the source of a powerful and abundant stream of water.The Wixárika elders returned to their village with news of the spring, and the community was saved from famine. In honor of the 14 elders who had made the pilgrimage, the community named the town "Real de Catorce."
This video was shot with the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4K with Sigma Lenses (24mm & 35mm) and Dji Mavic 2 Pro.
Edited and graded in Davinci Resolve.
Arnaud Moro
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