Synopsis
Coyolxauhqui recasts the mythical dismemberment of the Aztec Moon goddess Coyolxauhqui by her brother Huitzilopochtli, the deity of war, the Sun and human sacrifice. The film is a poem of perception, one that unveils how contemporary Mexican femicide is linked to a patriarchal history with roots in deeper cultural constructs.
A word from Tënk
Coyolxauhqui is part of a trilogy by the Los Ingrávidos collective _exploring recent waves of femicide in Mexico. Resolutely avant-garde and poetic, the film first tackles the subject obliquely through colourful images of fruit, mountains and cacti. Propelled by a soundtrack of improvised percussion, an ecstatic panic builds as the film conjures up the myth of the Aztec moon goddess Coyalxquhqui, dismembered by her brother, and transposes it to present-day Mexico. Crushed fruit. Rising moon. Beating drums. Voices from the past. The rhythm gives way to a haunting horror film, lamenting the missing women. Ultimately, Coyolxauhqui is an invocation that opens a portal to the distant past to recognize recurring patterns, inviting us to talk about what needs to be done now.
Benjamin R. Taylor
Director and programmer, VISIONS
Cofounder of La lumière collective
