Search - Erendira Ikikunari on DVD

Erendira...story was interesting.

M. Valdez | Las Cruces, NM United States | 09/03/2009

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Story was interesting...but predictable. What made the film was costumes, portrayal of gods, and opportunity to hear P'urepecha spoken. Plot was based on legend from P'urepecha indians and centered around a rebellious young princess. Character development was weak and film tended to drag in heavy symbolism and limited settings. Helps to have some background history of the people and the conquest of Mexico before viewing the film. You can then fill in the gaps, have some understanding of rituals and social hierarchies, and can appreciate the addition of codices used in film. A few books I would recommend:Hummingbird and the Hawk: Conquest and Sovereignty in the Valley of,Tariacuri's Legacy: The Prehispanic Tarascan State (Civilization of the American Indian Series)In Place of Gods and Kings: Authorship and Identity in the Relacion De Michoacan"

Good Film, Interesting Themes

Ol-lin | Los Angeles, CA USA | 05/22/2009

(3 out of 5 stars)

"P'urhepecha cosmovision differed from Nudzui and Mexica and Raramuri and all other indigenous groups in Mexico. The gender relations portrayed should not be mistakenly reduced as Eurocentric, too much credit is given to that view. Perhaps it would serve to point out that the majority of the actors are local P'urhepecha and the producers and directors. While the theme of conquest and encounters is certainly present throughout the film, notice how indigenous groups understood the coming of new strangers as opportunities to use them as leverage for their own interests. And while a great number of indigenous peoples were killed in battle (battle, they fought back, they did not view themselves as victims, they fought) the majority were wiped out (90%) by disease over the course of a half-century. It should be pointed out that indigenous peoples negotiated their roles in the new social and political structure, so Europeans were not the only ones pulling marionette strings. Citing it as Pre-American history is a false statement as the place and the lives of the people in the place existed centuries before the arrival of Europeans and should not be defined by that event, which many mistakenly do. In addition, authenticity is a dangerous word and is often misused to mean real when in reality authenticity is created and recreated, thus rendering its synthesis inauthentic by that definition. Erendira was filmed mostly around Lake Patzcuaro and on the ruins of the Yacatas, the pyramids left by the P'urhepecha, with mostly P'urhepecha locals as the actors, if that is what makes it authentic, then perhaps it is. However, this film is from the viewpoint of modern-day P'urhepechas and should not be reduced to being Eurocentric. A good film, with interesting themes, and decent production cosidering the limited budget."

Erendira: The Phurepecha Warrior

Xihuan | South Gate, Ca United States | 05/15/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I've enjoyed the film. The film does contain some Eurocentric perspectives of aboriginal gender relationships and political affairs. However, it demonstrated the Spanish subjugation and manipulation that took place during the European Invasion of the Americas. The mass genocide displayed in the film is dramatized with real body like characters and background illustrations of dead bodies. A film on Pre-American history is somewhat unusual,especially when it comes to authenticity. It would be great to see a film on the Amerindian Holocaust for historical purposes with all the colors, backgrounds and true craftsmanship that some American Hebrew and Chinese films have when they portray their history."