El silencio profundo de los hombres de barro. Arte y compromiso en 2501 Migrants, un documental de Yolanda Cruz

Abstract

In this article we analyse Yolanda Cruz’s documentary 2501 Migrants: A Journey/Reencuentros (2010), which focuses on Alejandro Santiago’s monumental artistic project 2501 migrantes. The Oaxacan artist Santiago made 2,501 clay sculptures as a tribute to all the migrants that left his village of Teococuilco. Cruz’s ethnographic documentary not only poses questions on migration and indigenous cultures, it also reflects on art and the role of the artist as a community builder. In order to better understand how Cruz succeeds in attracting the audience, we examine the narrative strategies (perspective, time, space and dramatic curve), the different interview modes and the aesthetic elements (images and music). Besides the sadness of the artist in his near-ghost town, there is the strong impact of the artistic sculptures on screen. Through these images both the artist and the documentary maker actively engage the audience to reflect on this utopian vision of social change.