Regular Price $29.99

Starring: Marcos (II),  Samuel Ruiz García,  Marcos, 
Directed By: Nettie Wild, 
Rated: NR (Not Rated)
Release Date: 1998
Studio: Zeitgeist Films
Format: Color,  DVD-Video,  Subtitled,  Widescreen,  NTSC, 

Editorial Reviews and DVD Information about A Place Called Chiapas

Description
On January 1, 1994, the Zapatista National Liberation Army--made up of impoverished Mayan Indians from the state of Chiapas--took over five towns and 500 ranches in southern Mexico. The government deployed its troops, and at least 145 people died in the ensuing battle. Fighting for indigenous Mexicans to regain control over their lives and the land, the Zapatistas and their charismatic leader, guerilla poet Subcomandante Marcos, began sending their message to the world via the Internet. The result was what THE NEW YORK TIMES called "the world’s first postmodern revolution." Years into the uprising, filmmaker Nettie Wild traveled to the jungle canyons of southern Mexico to film the elusive and fragile life of the rebellion. Her camera effectively and movingly captures the personal stories behind a very public clash of traditional culture and globalization.

Amazon.com
A trip into the perilous state of Chiapas in southern Mexico is taken in this documentary, which focuses on the Zapatista National Liberation Army and its mysterious leader, Subcomandante Marcos. The narration notes that The New York Times has referred to the struggle of the Zapatistas as the "world's first postmodern revolution," and there is a remarkably surreal air at times. At one point Subcomandante Marcos is filmed while posing for the French fashion magazine Marie Claire, yet there can be no denying that the residents he champions are extremely poor. The interviews with farmers who fear they will be murdered by government troops are moving, and a press conference in which tape recordings of death threats are played is disturbing. The film's director, Nettie Wild, has a definite point of view and notes stoically that a memo from American bankers may have inspired the violence directed against the local rebels by the Mexican government. The background of the rebellion in Chiapas is told concisely with most of the film consisting of atmospheric footage showing life in the troubled and violent region. The film crew was itself threatened by right-wing paramilitary death squads, and the paranoia that is an asset in such an environment is tensely translated via filmed encounters with government troops. --Robert J. McNamara

Customer Reviews for A Place Called Chiapas

Not an in-depth look at the situation.
If you've read the collection of writings in Ya Basta! and followed Marcos's and others writing online, you may find this documentary uninformative and lacking in real detail about the people involved on both sides, and the philosophy of the Zapatistas. Still, the subjects themselves are interesting enough to give A Place Called Chiapas a watch if you're interested in the Zapatista movement.A Place Called Chiapas

Great Doc!
This is a great documentary! I highly recommend this to anyone who is interested in social movements. My only regret is that this documentary is dated. This movie only covers material from the early part of the movement. I would like to see something more recent, say the last five years (2003-2008).A Place Called Chiapas

Enjoyable and informative...
I enjoyed this film and the attempt of the producer to present both sides of this conflict. It is always difficult to present an unbiased view of a conflict, especially when you are a sympathizer of the Zapatistas. For an introduction to this conflict I find myself more educated on the issue and I am glad I watched the film.A Place Called Chiapas

Not bad but could have been better...
This video is for everyone: hardcore supporters of the Zapatistas and for those who know next to nothing on the struggle. It details the history and cause of the uprising in Chiapas but leaves much out of Marcos' personality. If you'd like to know more of his agenda you'd be better off reading his speeches in the internet. I also liked the way the documentary depicts the culture of those living in Chiapas.A Place Called Chiapas

A too gringo vision of Chiapas
I saw this movie without previous warning, following the advice of intellectuals' reviews seemingly to the left of US political arena. I can only admire the camera of Netie Wild's. The best part of this documentary is undoubtly the photography, to which Chiapas geography and people contributed generously. Most of the interviews are well-conducted and some just missed the point entirely. In some passages of the film, the title of this review becomes embrassingly obvious. Wild demonstrates why in Latin America many social movements don't often trust pseudo-progressive artists and intellectuals. In her unsuccessful effort to surgically separate the armed movement from the communities, Wild's film becomes amateurish. For instance, she forces the script to describe the Zapatistas as cold-hearted when dealing with the displaced communities from Tila, after attacks from paramilitary groups. In her efforts, she provokes the Zapatistas into turning untrustful of hers. No wonder! Nobody who has been into Zapatistas communities in Chiapas could believe this side of Wild's story. In the end she forces herself into pretending to be an "objective" observer, while in a few parts of the movie you can see she really loses her coolness in front of the camera. In the end, this is a barely accurate vision of Chiapas, told by a typical USian (born in the US, "Americans" are all those born in the Americas) with a mentality of a charity tourist.A Place Called Chiapas