The scenario is San Mateo, a fictional town standing for Villa Guadalupe Victoria, a small village (about 500 inhabitants) on the highlands of the state of Oaxaca 500km southeast of Mexico City. Most of population is of indigenous origin and about half speak indigenous languages besides Spanish. The town government includes a Cabildo, an assembly that can convene at any time to resolve problems among town dwellers by mutual agreement or if necessary by vote. This coexists with incongruous touches of modernity such as ubiquitous cell phones. As for the title, the Mixteco are a people indigenous to Mexico, mostly living in a region called La Sierra Mixteca situated in the states of Oaxaca and Puebla. Nudo Mixteco (Mixteco Knot) is a part of the Sierra.
There are three stories about three women. The first, María, is estranged from her family and is in town for her mother's funeral trying to reconnect with her father. The second, Chavela, is struggling to sort out the return of her husband, who left for "the North" for one year in search of employment but extended his stay, The third is Toña, who ekes out a living in Mexico City but is warned that her pre-teen daughter, who stayed in San Mateo is in danger. The stories are mostly independent but intersect the day of María's mother's funeral so that we see some happenings from the point of view of different characters.
I liked this movie. Director and writer Ángeles Cruz grew up in Villa Guadalupe Victoria, this is her first feature film and her debut couldn't be more auspicious. The script is tight; nothing missing, nothing inessential. Acting is excellent both from the professionals playing the main roles and from the townspeople covering the rest (the movie was approved and supported by the town's Cabildo). Cinematography by Carlos Correa captures perfectly the dusty streets, modest interiors and the stark, forbidding landscapes. Not to miss.
