La otra conquista

This is the most powerful, unforgettable and life-altering film I've seen in ages. It's amazing that I'm Irish and I felt it was about the story of my people, even though it's about the Aztecs and Spanish. What's wrong with you distributors out there? Why isn't this film playing nationwide?!?!?

This movie has the tone of an epic story and a universal message of tolerance. The beautiful shots and the storytelling grab you from the first image and bring the audience in a journey through history following the uneasy path of the main character. But the story is never easy to guess and the feeling to witness something real is what keeps you on the edge of your seat. The characters never feel one-dimensional or convenient, they are part of the story and their historical role is portrayed in details. But there is something more: the story behind the movie. The making of it is, per se, an amazing adventure that every aspiring filmmaker must see.

This is a superb film which conveys a powerful and profound message of tolerance, respect and peace. This film has been truly made by the artist who has taken the canvas of his soul to the silver screen and has truly added to the cause of peace for this nation---brilliant!!! And due to this, it is an important vehicle which offers the solutions to conquering youth violence so prevalent in our society today. The Other Conquest will undoubtedly become a classic. This film is a must for children and families---there is a hunger within our Brown children (and believe me, there are many) to know their heritage and where they fit in.

La Otra Conquista has touched me in a way that no other movie has. I saw it two weeks ago and I am still under its spell, I think, in a way, I always will. Let me get to the point. There are several dimensions to this flawless piece of art, this priceless gem, this eminent, yet unassuming masterpiece of a timeless, universal message, this miraculous documentary of what happened 500 years ago and until now had only lived in the intangible inner world of those who, for ancestry or spiritual communion, have dared to reach back and touch the still pulsating heart of the Native Americans, the Spirit of the Land. All would deserve to be talked about at great length (historical, cultural, spiritual, intellectual, aesthetic, emotional, religious, musical, linguistic, semiotic and so on) but I'd rather strike (and I can only try) at what I perceive its heart to be as it has done to me. Topiltzin (whose name I have called with tears in my eyes again and again for days and days), from the bottom of his pure, untainted spirit, undergoes a spiritual travail like no others, comparable in force and intensity to that of Christ, and comes out transfigured at the other end, having literally saved humanity by embracing the spirit of his oppressor, who in turn is also transcendentally transformed. This movie's message is not about revenge toward the inhumanity of man toward man, but rather about the all-conquering power of the human spirit, above and beyond the cultural trappings of one's religious beliefs, something that the Catholic Church, unfortunately, unbelievably, has yet to realize. The spiritual lessons to be learned and re-learned from experiencing this film are priceless, heart-wrenching, ultimately enlightening. If you go to church, or the sports arena, this is like a thousand high masses, a thousand super bowls. IT WILL TRANSFORM YOU. Go see it already, stop wasting your precious time.

The Other Conquest is one of the best films that I have ever seen.BUT it is neither for the squeamish nor the prudish. It is based on the consequences of the Spanish Military Conquest of Mexico led by Hernán Cortés in the early sixteenth century. The Other Conquest is set against this backdrop and explores the religious conquest of Topiltzin, the son of the Aztec King, Montezuma, and his favorite mistress. It is powerful yet beautiful; educational yet entertaining; sexual yet romantic; brutal yet compassionate. The director, Salavdor Carrasco, expertly weaves these contrasts into a film that grabs your attention from the beginning and takes you on an astonishing E-Ticket ride. The photography is stunning and the music is captivating. You will not forget this film. The only problem will be finding it. As I write this in September 2001, I have been looking for it for almost a year. I only recently learned that a small number of videos (without English subtitles) are available. Hopefully Señor Carrasco will release an English subtitled version of this Great film very soon. This film deserves a much wider audience than it has had.