Mancolona / Ángel Linares

Ángel Linares 
Mexico/United States
 
Mancolona, 2025
Film, 9:48 minutes
 
Linares creates a powerful exploration of identity, storytelling, and resistance, following a young Tzeltal filmmaker as he captures the essence of his community in the depths of the Mayan jungle. Through his lens, we witness the intersection of tradition and modern technology, revealing the profound role Indigenous communicators play in preserving their land, language, and heritage.
 
Mancola hopes to shed light on the importance of Indigenous-led media in defending biodiversity and cultural heritage. The film emphasizes the necessity of access to technology in empowering Indigenous voices. Through a self-reflective approach, Linares presents a narrative where the director’s perspective and the subject’s storytelling merge, allowing the community to be seen through its own eyes rather than an external lens. The film challenges audiences to rethink representation, advocating for a more authentic and self-determined approach to documenting Indigenous realities.
 
Ángel Linares is a documentary filmmaker and National Geographic Explorer. A graduate of the National School of Cinematic Arts at UNAM, his work has been recognized at major festivals, including the Cannes Film Festival, Morelia International Film Festival, and DocsMX. Ángel’s films focus on Indigenous and rural communities, using narrative storytelling to amplify environmental and cultural conservation efforts.