The Monte Alban Colony in the slums of Oaxaca, Mexico is known for being the most dangerous zone in the city. Among an ambient of poverty and gang-related violence, there's a glimmer of hope that every day shines brighter: Crecemos, a project where the children of this colony are taken in and have their lives transformed through education and nutrition.
The City of Oaxaca Mexico is well known for its colonial beauty and rich culture. However, below the surface we can see a politically charged city that often boils with sociopolitical turmoil, of which one its symptoms is the constant strikes by the teacher's syndicate which keep the youth of Oaxaca deprived of education, not to mention that the lack of work opportunities in the state have sunk most of the underprivileged families in extreme poverty. These elements have caused the youth to become uneducated and malnourished, affecting their academic and physical development. Due to this situation, independent organizations arise to provide a solution and change the lives of children and their families. Chief among these organizations is CRECE (or "growth") funded by a group of college students who spent their spare time by creating a place where children could be provided with education and nutrition. The children who attend CRECE grow up in extreme poverty conditions, raised by families that have also been burdened with poor education and lack of resources. The organization has grown overtime and has refined their methods. CRECE is located in one of the most dangerous zones in the City of Oaxaca, the Monte Alban Colony known for its gang-related violence and drug trafficking. It is within this Colony that CRECE serves as a bastion of hope, as children are provided with the education that the teacher's syndicate denies them by existing in a perpetual state of strike. They are thought not just universal knowledge, but also the value of dignity towards themselves and that they can achieve more than they can imagine. The second part where this project delves is in nutrition; based on several studies, the organization has come to the logical conclusion that the education provided to the children won't be entirely successful if the children don't receive proper nourishment which is key to their physical and mental development. CRECE not only feeds the children with a carefully planned diet, but also provides their families with knowledge on how to better ensure their children to be properly fed and them also teach the children cooking skills so as to instill in them a culture of healthy alimentary habits. Projects like CRECE are the only solution when it comes to the future of an entire generation of children who have the odds against them since they are born. Children in Oaxaca are caught in the crossfires of political machinations between factions of rivals seeking to get their way. Most of these children would have fallen into criminality and joined gangs, but there's the hope that through education and opening their minds to a better future, they can overcome the unfair conditions they live in. This is important work that sheds light on an organization that rises to the occasion and does everything in its power to create a positive change in society. All within a Colony that serves as an example of what happens when people fall into despair and give into criminality as a last resort. As long as there's organizations like CRECE, there is hope.
THE AWAKENED HEART is a collaborative effort by Simonetta D'Italia and Giovanni Morricone (Son of legendary composer Ennio Morricone) to raise awareness to CRECE and ensure that the work this organization is doing can be supported by anyone who watches this documentary. There's a clear love for Oaxaca in this documentary, but the filmmakers recognize that Oaxaca goes beyond its rich architecture and culinary diversity, it's its people that matters and that are often forgotten. Being a film festival that named after Oaxaca and being inhabitants of the state and the city, there's a genuine joy in seeing a documentary that is made with such effort to shed a light on this important and sensitive subject. D'Talia and Morricone don't sugarcoat the terrible conditions in which these families find themselves in, nor do they shoot Oaxaca from a tourist video perspective, they capture the rawness of Monte Alban Colony and the harsh conditions in which its people live in. The documentary is a through look at how CRECE operates, their mission and vision and how the people in charge execute a carefully laid plan that intends to save lives. We are guided through the diverse solutions and challenges that CRECE faces, from the education point of view, to realizing that undernourishment plays an important role in how these kids physicality is affected generation by generation and how proper food gives them better cognitive development. There's also an emphasis on the arts, as the children become more sensitive and value beauty, which will help them become more empathetic, they are thought music (in a clear nod to Maestro Morricone, the children learn the main theme from CINEMA PARADISO) The children's families are also re-educated to become more in touch with their feelings, turning them into families that are more loving and taking them away from intro-familiar violence. This is humanitarian work, and we hope the documentary can be seen all over the world so as to help CRECE grow and provide them with even better tools to save these lives and give them the chances and opportunities that would have been denied to them otherwise.
The City of Oaxaca Mexico is well known for its colonial beauty and rich culture. However, below the surface we can see a politically charged city that often boils with sociopolitical turmoil, of which one its symptoms is the constant strikes by the teacher's syndicate which keep the youth of Oaxaca deprived of education, not to mention that the lack of work opportunities in the state have sunk most of the underprivileged families in extreme poverty. These elements have caused the youth to become uneducated and malnourished, affecting their academic and physical development. Due to this situation, independent organizations arise to provide a solution and change the lives of children and their families. Chief among these organizations is CRECE (or "growth") funded by a group of college students who spent their spare time by creating a place where children could be provided with education and nutrition. The children who attend CRECE grow up in extreme poverty conditions, raised by families that have also been burdened with poor education and lack of resources. The organization has grown overtime and has refined their methods. CRECE is located in one of the most dangerous zones in the City of Oaxaca, the Monte Alban Colony known for its gang-related violence and drug trafficking. It is within this Colony that CRECE serves as a bastion of hope, as children are provided with the education that the teacher's syndicate denies them by existing in a perpetual state of strike. They are thought not just universal knowledge, but also the value of dignity towards themselves and that they can achieve more than they can imagine. The second part where this project delves is in nutrition; based on several studies, the organization has come to the logical conclusion that the education provided to the children won't be entirely successful if the children don't receive proper nourishment which is key to their physical and mental development. CRECE not only feeds the children with a carefully planned diet, but also provides their families with knowledge on how to better ensure their children to be properly fed and them also teach the children cooking skills so as to instill in them a culture of healthy alimentary habits. Projects like CRECE are the only solution when it comes to the future of an entire generation of children who have the odds against them since they are born. Children in Oaxaca are caught in the crossfires of political machinations between factions of rivals seeking to get their way. Most of these children would have fallen into criminality and joined gangs, but there's the hope that through education and opening their minds to a better future, they can overcome the unfair conditions they live in. This is important work that sheds light on an organization that rises to the occasion and does everything in its power to create a positive change in society. All within a Colony that serves as an example of what happens when people fall into despair and give into criminality as a last resort. As long as there's organizations like CRECE, there is hope.
THE AWAKENED HEART is a collaborative effort by Simonetta D'Italia and Giovanni Morricone (Son of legendary composer Ennio Morricone) to raise awareness to CRECE and ensure that the work this organization is doing can be supported by anyone who watches this documentary. There's a clear love for Oaxaca in this documentary, but the filmmakers recognize that Oaxaca goes beyond its rich architecture and culinary diversity, it's its people that matters and that are often forgotten. Being a film festival that named after Oaxaca and being inhabitants of the state and the city, there's a genuine joy in seeing a documentary that is made with such effort to shed a light on this important and sensitive subject. D'Talia and Morricone don't sugarcoat the terrible conditions in which these families find themselves in, nor do they shoot Oaxaca from a tourist video perspective, they capture the rawness of Monte Alban Colony and the harsh conditions in which its people live in. The documentary is a through look at how CRECE operates, their mission and vision and how the people in charge execute a carefully laid plan that intends to save lives. We are guided through the diverse solutions and challenges that CRECE faces, from the education point of view, to realizing that undernourishment plays an important role in how these kids physicality is affected generation by generation and how proper food gives them better cognitive development. There's also an emphasis on the arts, as the children become more sensitive and value beauty, which will help them become more empathetic, they are thought music (in a clear nod to Maestro Morricone, the children learn the main theme from CINEMA PARADISO) The children's families are also re-educated to become more in touch with their feelings, turning them into families that are more loving and taking them away from intro-familiar violence. This is humanitarian work, and we hope the documentary can be seen all over the world so as to help CRECE grow and provide them with even better tools to save these lives and give them the chances and opportunities that would have been denied to them otherwise.