**Creative Fertility**
With the national responsibility of the itinerant non-competitive documentary festival, Ambulante, created by Gael García Bernal and Diego Luna, the researcher, educator, and Baja Californian filmmaker Itzel Martínez del Cañizo contributes to social and cultural transformation through collective cinematography. This was highlighted during her visit to the first edition of the Valle de Guadalupe Film Festival, a perfect setting to discuss with TJGringo about the community exercise in Baja California through cinema, areas of opportunity, and the growth of the industry in the region.
“My search was always focused on walking together, in processes where the film was the result of a space where those represented took an active role in the process. Most of the documentaries I made were in Tijuana and revolved around what cinema means in a community environment,” clarified Martínez, who during the film encounter in the wine region held the panel “Cinema in the Community.”
“The talk I gave was more focused on creating community cinema: we took a tour of the different films/documentaries I’ve made and the methodologies that always involved a co-participation process, a participatory and collaborative development process, let’s say, the creative approach when you are interested in building a narrative about a reality different from yours. That’s where all the dilemmas arise, the vision of how you will talk about the other person and your approach,” pointed out the also Art History teacher from UNAM.
From her work in Ambulante, Itzel emphasized that the intention of spreading documentary cinema outside official environments and major capital cities has been a task fostered since 2005 with this itinerant festival and the proliferation of dedicated film meetings that mark a decentralization.
“You can’t make cinema without watching cinema. Mexican and documentary cinema was key at that time, distributing and spreading it, a socially committed cinema. We represented a generation of filmmakers and documentarians who needed more channels for the appreciation of their works, and thus arose projection spaces like Ambulante,” she stressed.
Leading the perception of Bordocs Foro Documental on this border for a decade (2003-2013), the filmmaker shared her vision on the pace of the film industry in BC.
“It has always been characterized as a region where, on one hand, its artists have the ability to manage their creative processes; unfortunately, we still follow a centralist model, where the main cultural activity and support are in the centers, but Baja California has always been wonderful. I’m happy to continue seeing valuable works from new filmmakers. I belong to that territory; I’ve been away for a while, but it has been a reconnection with the local community. However, what I see is not very connected: they work a lot, but there’s no unity; instead, they continue to have a notable industry, working individually with a territory in need of resilient stories to tell. There’s much wealth and creative fertility to continue contributing to national cinema,” she reflected.
**Additional Article: Valle de Guadalupe Film Festival Highlights**
The Valle de Guadalupe Film Festival, inaugurated just recently, has become a beacon of hope for the local film community. This festival aims to showcase emerging talent and foster a collaborative environment for filmmakers. Highlights of the event included screenings of locally produced documentaries and feature films, workshops on filmmaking techniques, and panel discussions on the future of cinema in Baja California.
A significant focus of the festival was on sustainability and eco-friendly filmmaking, aligning with the region’s reputation for sustainable wine production. Attendees had the opportunity to engage with established filmmakers like Itzel Martínez del Cañizo and participate in hands-on workshops that emphasized the importance of community and environmental consciousness in film production.
The success of this festival indicates a promising future for the film industry in Baja California, encouraging more local talents to tell their stories and contribute to the diverse and rich narrative of Mexican cinema. The Valle de Guadalupe Film Festival is set to become an annual event, aiming to strengthen the bond between the community and its filmmakers while promoting the region’s vibrant culture and creativity.