Mariposas del Campo

Description

The multiple award-winning documentary Mariposas del Campo shares the stories of indigenous Mixtec, Zapotec, and Purépecha teenagers from Mexico striving to change their families’ destinies in the strawberry fields of Oxnard, California. Through a stormy year of sanctioned racism and anti-immigrant policies, the documentary captures their journeys—with help from the characters’ own intimate videos—as they navigate cultural identity, parental expectations, economic challenges, and the justice needs of their migrant farmworker community. For young people whose lives have always been steeped in uncertainty, it takes a leap of faith to chase a dream.

FILMMAKERS’ STATEMENT:
Mariposas del Campo means “butterflies from the field,” and references migrating butterflies moving freely across borders and barriers. Monarchs are potent symbols of the immigration movement. The characters in our documentary are like butterflies rising up out of the strawberry fields. Insuring they had agency in how they and their community were seen was a big priority. We circulated three camera kits among them, and provided training. As they recorded their own videos, we’d meet often to talk about their footage, and about the direction the film was taking. The kids dove in and contributed significant personal material, with assists from siblings and boyfriends. The documentary you see is a mix of our footage and theirs.

Languages spoken: English, Spanish, Mixteco, and Zapoteco.
Closed captions available in English or Spanish.

SCREENINGS and AWARDS:
Best Documentary Feature – Red Nation International Film Festival
Official Selection – Watsonville Film Festival
Official Selection – San Diego Latino Film Festival
Official Selection – Thin Line Fest
Museum of Ventura County
California State University Channel Islands
San Diego State University
Special Jury Award for Bridging Cultures – Arizona International Film Festival
Official Selection – Cine Las Americas International Film Festival
Oxnard Film Society
Encampment for Citizenship
Social Impact Award – Sight + Sound Film Festival
Orange Coast College
Official Selection – Santa Cruz Film Festival
Chapman University
PBS
WORLD Channel
Social Impact & Vision Award Honorable Mention – Ojai Film Festival
Oaxaqueño Youth Encuentro
Best Documentaries of 2022 – Video Librarian
California Lutheran University
UCLA
Ventura County Library – Soliz/El Rio Branch
Littlerock High School
2023 Finalist (Independent Production) – Public Media Awards presented by NETA
Oxnard College