The Presentation

La Vida y Los Muertos is a visually rich film that captures the beauty, the joy, the sadness and the magic of the Day of the Dead in Oaxaca, Mexico. From elaborately decorated graves, to frightening demon dancers, to lavish home altars, and enormous sand paintings, the film takes you on a journey through the city of Oaxaca and five nearby villages during the days of the festival. Wandering through the festively decorated streets, homes and graveyards is like passing through hundreds of private conversations between those that are living and those that have passed on. Like the festival itself, the film comes alive as the music dances and interacts with the imagery in a joyous celebration of life. As an art film, La Vida y Los Muertos is a journey through the city of Oaxaca and five near-by villages during the celebration of Day of the Dead. In the city and in the villages, this beautiful festival of death is very lively. The juxtaposition of music, food and celebration with cemeteries and death is surreal. With little narration, rich visuals and complex soundtrack, each chapter captures the mood and the impression of one particular place.

The Presenters

Carolyn Smythe Kallenborn, Professor Emerita from the University of Wisconsin, is an internationally acclaimed artist working with textiles, film, installation, and community projects. Kallenborn has been teaching, learning, and collaborating with artisans in Oaxaca since 2004. She has been a cultural, artistic, and technical guide for students, interns, academics, artists, and artisans. Through exhibitions and her documentary films Woven Lives and La Vida y Los Muertos, she is a global advocate for Oaxacan culture. Her award-winning collaborative work with artisans has been shown extensively including galleries and museums in the U.S., Mexico, and China.

Miriam Campos is a third-generation embroidery artist from San Antonino Castil­lo Velasco in Oaxaca. She and her family are known for their signature designs and colorful floral embroidery used in their traditional clothing. Miriam's mother Reyna Cornelio, grandmother Virginia Sanchez, and all her aunts are established designers and embroiderers. Miriam has exhibited in museums nationally and internationally including the Rufino Tamayo Museum in Oaxaca, Santa Fe International Folk Art Market, New York Botanical Garden, and the National Museum of the American Indian in Washington D.C.