Bajo California: El límite del tiempo

An unusual movie coming from a mexican director. The story of a man who sets out to find himself among the deserts of Baja California. He travels from Los Angeles to San Francisco de la Sierra, travels across the landscape and finally arrives at his destination, the primitive paintings of the californian indians.

Resembles Wim Wenders "Paris, Texas" in that our protagonist is looking for something that he can´t find, something that he needs in order to feel complete. The movie´s length lets us share his journey. The landscape is beautiful and desolate, as anyone familiar with Baja California will recognize. An excellent achievement by a mexican director. Not a movie for everybody, but one that stays with you after you´ve seen it. The phrase "...el pasado son todos nuestros muertos" is very powerful; I definitely recommend this movie.

story of a spiritual journey of a losangelitos returning to the land of his ancestors in the rocky mountains of baja california. Style reminds Wim Wenders, in which the main character is a wandering person in search of something that he himself doesn't know, and just like in Wim Wender's films, he too carries a Polaroid camera. Very little dialogue, mostly imagery of rocky mountain desert (very similar to Anza-Borrego state park near San Diego). Initially I was finding the story rather boring and was ready to walk out, but I am glad I didn't: in the second half the story develops into the casual relationship between the character from Los Angeles and his guide, Arce, a local rancher. Again, very parsimonious on dialogue, generous on desert imagery, with a spice here and there of the spiritual rediscovery of attachment to the native land.

On my own perspective, Bajo California is the top film in this period that we call New Mexican Cinema, over some other masterpieces such as Como Agua para Chocolate or Amores Perros among many other great films produced in México in the last 15 years or so.

Bajo California is a movie about roots. Its the story of a chicano artist who finds in a car accident the perfect argument to question himself about his origins, about fertility and about guilt. Damian is traveling when he crosses paths with another penitent who prefers to go walking than to accept Damians lift because he is paying what in Mexico is called "manda", to offer suffering and sacrifice to gods or saints in payment of a petition made.

Damian decides to burn out his truck as a stigma and goes walking all the Baja peninsula. He is paying his own "manda". And he is looking for San Francisco de la Sierra, the little town where his origins are besides some beautiful aboriginal paintings full of mysteries, secrets, connections and knowledge that will heal Damians urgency for answers. Aditionally, his grandmother is buried there and he is looking for his gravestone. "The past is all our deads".

In San Francisco de la Sierra, Damian finds his family. The Arces. One of them, who serves as a guide not only to arrive to the paintings in the top of the mountain but also as a guide for that particular journey that Damian is running towards the answers. Arce has few words, he seems to tell more with his looks and his breathings than with what he says. Arce seems to know more about Damian than what Damian knows himself.

This film is peaceful, it reveals to us the same answers that Damian is getting with the same force as if we were below those paintings. It has a metaphysical breathing that only a Mexican, with his particular concept of sacrifice, can fully identify. We all have guilt in our hearts, and we identify it through Damians journey. We all have origins, but we only notice its real meaning through Damians journey.

This is more than a movie, this is an experience of self healing. It has a deep psychological insight, and I can relate it with a therapy technique that I recently found in my life that its called Family Constelations. I'm not an expert, but if somebody can throw an opinion about this subject it would be deeply interesting.

This movie would not have the same impact without its beautiful visual construction. Lovely images. That one of Damian sitting in the uterus of a Gray Whale skeleton that the assembled in the beach is beautifully stuffed of meanings. Great scenarios and splendid cinematography. There is no need of dialogues, when the sound design is so detailed and precise.

We are in presence of a masterpiece. And it is now on DVD here in Mexico.

My wife and I were still in a feverish shock the night of Septmber 11, 2001 when this movie came on the Independent Film Channel.

How engrossing, what film making, and how soul nourishing -- we could finally go to sleep with some hope to cling to.

The main character is a blocked artist who accidentally kills (or injures) a pregnant immigrant running across a highway in order to reach the USA. He cannot escape his guilt and shame and decides to go on a trek to his ancestors' home - Baja California. 'nuf said.

CALDO is the word for SOUP in Spanish - and 'Bajo California' is soup for a weary soul.

PS - who do we lobby to get a DVD of this film?

I had the pleasure of catching this little gem here in Santa Fe. If you get the chance, don't miss it. A beautiful hero's journey of redemption, finding your roots, friendship, nature, against the stunning Baja California backdrop.