Life is filled with countless challenges, and we all approach them differently – for Lucia, her dream has always been to become a harpist, following in the footsteps of her father, who has played the harp for years as part of their small Yoreme community in Northern Mexico, where it is a cultural tradition that the instrument is only played by men. This is the foundation for Mezquite’s Heart (Spanish: Corazon de Mezquite), in which director Ana Laura Calderón tells a beautiful and joyful story about the journey of a young girl as she comes of age in a small community that is driven more by traditions than it is logic, which causes a rift between her and the people who hold these traditions up as very close to sacrosanct law. It’s a wonderfully eccentric curio of a film, a compelling and captivating character study that is beautifully handcrafted by a director with a very strong vision of what she intended to achieve with this material, and while it may seem comparatively quite small if we look at it alongside films like Roma that focus on slightly similar subjects (namely the experiences of Indigenous Mexicans and the various challenges they encountered trying to preserve their culture), but it is nonetheless a very special work, an intimate and meaningful examination of culture as seen through the perspective of someone who has only just started to grow into her identity, which brings with it a number of challenges that she was not prepared to face on her own. Beautifully poetic and undeniably meaningful, Mezquite’s Heart is a tremendously compelling and often quite heartfelt story that looks beneath the surface of a common subject and turns it into something truly very special, in terms of both style and substance, signalling the fact that Calderón is one of the most exciting cinematic voices working today.

The aspect that seems to be motivating Calderón in telling the story at the heart of Mezquite’s Heart is the desire to see culture represented honestly and without any preconceived notions, as far as possible. This is a story that is very close to her heart, and we see that she is a personal touch in absolutely every frame, Mezquite’s Heart is a film made to celebrate the culture just as much as it intends to demonstrate its history. As we learn at the end of the film, the community represented in this film are part of a native group that has suffered immense loss over the years as a result of the colonial project, which sought to destroy their language and traditions, which allows us to view the central conflict in this film (where a young girl fights against the harsh customs that prevent her from pursuing what seems to be a very simple dream) as far more logical than we may have initially expected. Culture is something that needs to be preserved, and cinema has made sure that there is always a way of documenting the sights and sounds of a particular culture, allowing it to be viewed by future generations, especially in the case of those categorized as declining as a result of harsh efforts to suppress their customs. The film is certainly not heavy-handed in this regard, and it makes sure to highlight the beauty long before it adds discursive elements relating to the importance of preserving this culture – this helps make Mezquite’s Heart a far more engaging and tender experience, since it doesn’t ever come across as a film that is driven by intentions far larger than what we see on the screen, with the more thought-provoking elements instead being introduced to us at the very end, and seems to be aiming to stir conversation in the aftermath, rather than having the entire film propelled by these elements, which is a smart and effective choice.

Mezquite’s Heart is a film made by someone who has experience in every area of the filmmaking process, not only does this film look incredible, but it is populated by magnificent and compelling details that are drawn from a place of genuine interest in the material, especially in terms of the characterization. Calderón did most of her previous work as an editor, so she is well-versed in crafting a film based around the intricate details, working closely with the team responsible for capturing this footage, she constructs a beautiful and poetic examination of the human condition, one that is driven by both the small strokes and broad overtures. The filmmaking is simple but evocative and simmers with so much meaning and charm. There is something so captivating about how this film works its way through the world being constructed, finding value in even the most simple of places, which is all the proof we require to know that this is a very special production and one that comes from the heart. It also helps that the cast of the film is truly terrific – Mezquite’s Heart has an astonishing performance by the young Mayrin Buitimea, who brings so much depth and nuance to her role, while her grandparents, played by Julio Valenzuela and Alberta Yocupicio, are also incredibly impressive, their faces crinkled with decades of wisdom and a desire to see their stories told and preserved, which is one of the benefits of casting native actors since they usually tend to bring so much complexity to their roles. The film pays sufficient tribute to the Yoreme people of Northern Mexico, whose lives are represented in every frame of this project, functioning as not only a compelling story on its own but a willful and compelling depiction of their life, rendered in extraordinary detail by a director who truly cares for this material.

A small film with immense heartfulness and an even deeper sense of genuine sincerity, Mezquite’s Heart is a charming and insightful examination of culture, as seen through the eyes of a young protagonist who views the world in a very different way. It is quite a traditional film, and it follows familiar patterns with very close precision, never veering too far off-course, understanding its limitations and being willing to work within them. It is a very charming film and one that keeps its ideas quite close to its heart, which is what is most important for such a story. It is not massively complex, and instead serves to be an accessible, endearing glimpse into this culture, as seen by those who are most dedicated to telling this story, which becomes such an impressive feat of balancing a compelling narrative with the weight of history, which is fully demonstrated throughout this wonderful and insightful film. Mezquite’s Heart has a lot of heart and soul, and it frequently offers us an enriching, meaningful journey into the heart of a culture that has never been afforded the chance to have its traditions recorded on film in such detail. The blend of mythology and social realism helps elevate the film to more than just a heavy-handed narrative drama and instead creates a beautiful, poetic expression of admiration for this culture and its people, rendered with such beauty and sincerity by a director who genuinely cares for the material in a way that is quite surprising, but entirely understandable. Quiet, intriguing and deeply charming, Mezquite’s Heart is a terrific surprise and one of the most fervent examples of a truly extraordinary film that dares to go in search of the deeper meaning wherever it can be found.