Free from narrative and dialogue, Gods of Mexico is more a sensory experience than a story. It is a silent observation of Mexico’s Indigenous men and women, identified only by title cards notating the region.

The documentary is divided into three sections. In the first, two men dig a deep hole in the ground and then methodically fill it with rocks. Then the rocks are destroyed under the watchful eye of an old timer in aviator sunglasses and a straw hat. Why? The answer to that question intersects with another group of workers silently harvesting salt from nearby plots. 

From here, director Helmut Dosantos breaks into a section of pure portraiture before picking up with a group of miners tunneling deep below the surface. At no point does Dosantos ground the viewer or pause to explain his intentions. Instead, he leaves audiences with stunning cinematography and a wonderful exercise in imagination.

Gods of Mexico / Dioses de México (2022)
Written and directed by Helmut Dosantos
Oscilloscope Laboratories, Not rated, Running time 97, Premiered March 8, 2022 at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival

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The above blurb first appeared in the pages of Boulder Weekly, Vol. 30, No. 13, “That’s a wrap.”