Director Beate Engelbrecht
Country/Production Germany
Release 2001
Length 52 mins
Format Colour / DVD or VHS / PAL / All region
Location Mexico, Santa Clara del Cobre / America
Ethnic Group Purhepecha
Order No RAI-200.239
Sale Info See Film Prices General Collection; Sale in Germany with IWF
Hire Info See Film and Video Hire
Santa Clara del Cobre, a village in Mexico's province Michoacán, is well-known for its copperwork, a craft originating from pre-Spanish times. In the late 1940s the people of Santa Clara tried to find new possibilities for their copper production. Craft fairs and competitions gave new impetus to the work, and development organisations also became interested to implement projects. These activities caused the copper craft to flourish again. In 1991, a rough-cut of the film was shown to the craftsmen in Mexico. By then, the worldwide recession had left its traces in Santa Clara: some workshops had been closed. The craftsmen comment on their experiences and contemporary problems during and after the screening of the rough-cut. Their remarks have then become part of the final film.
