Twenty Five Hundred & One

Los Angeles filmmaker Patricia van Ryker has been making the festival rounds with her touching portrayal of Oaxacan artist Alejandro Santiago, and after screening at the Cannes Independent Film Festival this month, she heads to New Hope.

For six years, Santiago, his family, and many assistants worked tirelessly to bring “2501 Migrantes” to life. Sculpted from local clay and painted with colors derived from the soil near his birthplace in Mexico's Sierra de Ixtlan Mountains, these "lost soul" sculptures speak for those who are gone. They are the voice of those who return only on holidays, those whose only presence is a Western Union money gram, and those who will never return. Graciela Cervantes, the artist's representative in Oaxaca, says "...what Alejandro has dreamt, he has made reality."

As van Ryker puts it, "Alejandro's Migrantes are a haunting reminder of the common problems we face. For, in our global life, what affects one, affects all." You can watch the trailer here: 2501 Preview