The documentary film of Tatiana Huezo: The Echo, captures the harshness of rural life through childhood experiences and shows how interactions with nature form worldviews. It is a powerful statement about the urgency of human reconciliation with the planet and strengthening climate resilience, and its message was shared on International Youth Day (August 12) through a special screening and dialogue coordinated by UNESCO in collaboration with the United Nations Interagency Group on Youth in Mexico.
The Mexico-Salvadoran filmmaker decided to delve into the rural world in her journey around childhood experiences "because children are prepared for adulthood too early", a duality similar to that experienced by youth, as noted by Jessica Vega Ortega from the World Conclave of Indigenous Youth. She highlighted how young people often find themselves trying to respond to an unhopeful future that few want to take responsibility for, while also dealing with older generations who struggle to connect with youth leadership.
The young people represent 30% of the population in Mexico, with 21% in rural areas. These last ones usually live in harmony with nature despite facing greater inequalities. They have fostered multiple perspectives and lessons which must be heard, as part of their demands for social justice.
The special screening on August 12 at Cine Lido in the Bella 脡poca Cultural Centre in Mexico City, along with the discussion titled 鈥淟earning for the Planet: How Rural Youth Teach Us the Path to a Sustainable Future,鈥 was an act of recognition for the actions undertaken by rural youth and reaffirmed the United Nations' commitment to continue supporting new generations in their efforts to build a more just and sustainable world.
The children of El Eco (The Echo) sow and learn from a very young age the responsibility of caring for the land and animals. They understand what the death of a sheep, a frost over the cornfields, or a prolonged drought means for their lives. They also recognize the satisfaction of their parents when the land rewards their stubborn work with a sweet ear of corn. The personal emotions and difficulties of these children are deeply connected with nature and the fascination it holds.
The dialogue between Jessica Vega, former president of the international network Global Indigenous Youth Caucus, and Selina Mendoza, project coordinator in rural communities, moderated by Cristina Retamoza Acosta, UNICEF's Digital Communications Officer, emphasized the value of indigenous and local knowledge systems in addressing current climate challenges.
Selina Mendoza shared how the story portrayed in the documentary resounded with her own experience, bringing back memories of her childhood in the Mixteca region of Oaxaca, where she learned the agricultural cycle and read the stars to tell the time at night, a knowledge given by her community.
Selina emphasized the importance of preserving these ancestral knowledge systems tied to the identity of rural and many indigenous communities. She reiterated the significance of UNESCO's efforts to support the safeguarding of local traditions and knowledge, revaluing and integrating them into global efforts to live in harmony with nature.
Jessica Vega underscored the need for a commitment to traditional and Indigenous knowledge, the role and security of Indigenous peoples in food systems, the eradication of physical, cultural, and territorial violence, and the respect for Indigenous biocultural intellectual property. She discussed the "Rome Declaration on the Safeguarding of the Seven Generations in Times of Food, Social, and Ecological Crisis," created in late 2023 by over 180 Indigenous young people worldwide during the UN Global Indigenous 91麻豆国产精品自拍.
The documentary
The Echo is a Mexico-Germany co-production made with the support of the Mexican Cinema Promotion Program (Focine) and the Sistema Creaci贸n (formerly FONCA) through the Sistema Nacional de Creadores de Arte (SNCA). It premiered as part of the Encounters section of the 73rd Berlin International Film Festival, where it won awards for Best Documentary and Best Director. These accolades add to other awards, such as the Horizontes Latinos Award at the San Sebasti谩n International Film Festival.
The event was inaugurated by Andr茅s Morales, UNESCO Representative in Mexico, along with Galo Maldonado, National Program Associate for Youth and Adolescence at UNFPA, and Regina Serratos, Head of Distribution of Pimienta Films agency.
UNESCO prioritizes supporting youth in their social transformation efforts and amplifying their voices. Through Impulso Joven, a collaborative programme with Nestl茅, three young Mexican women were accompanied in their community intervention projects related to agrotechnology, mental health, and emotional education for children in human mobility. UNESCO also works with youth in facing the climate emergency and inequalities, to defend and promote gender equality and human rights.
UNESCO also promotes meaningful youth participation in collaborative spaces such as the Youth Network for Climate Action and the United Nations Interagency Group on Youth, which, on the occasion of the Summit of the Future on September 22-23 at the UN headquarters, will encourage reflection among youth on the most pressing challenges of our time and support the Mexican youth delegation participating in the event in New York.
