Coquitlam Public Library

The Zapotec Way - Dyeing and Weaving at La Grana Tejidos

eng

videorecording

The Zapotec Way - Dyeing and Weaving at La Grana Tejidos

956907754

Originally produced by Matthew Martin-Hall in 2016

29

Heritage preservation is an increasingly urgent priority as new generations of indigenous peoples choose modern Western lifestyles, leaving the old ways of doing things behind. In the village of Teotitlan del Valle, Oaxaca, Mexico, Benito Hernandez and his wife, Rosario, have chosen to live a very traditional life, and to continue to produce beautiful rugs and hangings using the techniques that have been passed down in their families for generations. It is their dream to insure that these techniques are recorded and preserved.. Benito and Rosario purchase wool sheared from local sheep and wash that wool in the nearby river in baskets. Rosario cards and spins every inch of yarn they use in their weavings. They farm indigo plants to produce blue dyes, and Opuntia ficus indica, a species of prickly pear cactus, on which they cultivate cochineal insects that are used to produce carmine red dyes. The weavings are done on treadle looms by Benito, who creates both traditional and original designs. One of his rugs was commissioned by and is part of the collections of the Getty Museum. This film chronicals their work and honors their dedication to the preservation of their artisan heritage..

live action