Echo of the Mountain (Variety film review)
From Variety
Long fascinated by indigenous Huichol culture, noted Mexican documentary/features helmer Nicolas Echevarria (“Cabeza de Vaca”) turns his artistically sensitive, respectful eye toward master muralist Santos de la Torre in the beautifully made if repetitive “Echo of the Mountain.” One of the Huichol’s leading artists, de la Torre creates stunning, complex traditional murals out of multicolored beads, their patterns tied to the peoples’ land and religion. Echevarria films him and his family both in the act of creation and during elaborate rituals which, though interesting, remain frustratingly unexplained. While little concrete is learned, this attractive window onto a threatened culture has been picking up awards and should see rotation on PBS-style broadcasts.
