Stories of the Land
Mexico in Print & Film
Before we travel, we like to soak up on local art, literature, and film for our destination. We highly recommend this practice of basking in the language, culture, and story. When you arrive, the stories come to life. Your travel experiences will be all the deeper and more meaningful for being soaked through with the stories of the people who live there.
In preparation for our upcoming annual Holiday Retreat to a private beach off the coast of Puerto Vallarta, we’ve assembled our best reads and favorite films for Mexico. Snuggle up with a cup of tea or glass of wine, and enjoy!
Mexico on Film
Based on the novel by Laura Esquivel, Like Water for Chocolate (1992) focuses on food and family – Mexico’s two abiding national obsessions. The film tells the story of Tita, a young woman who discovers her incredible talent for cooking after her family prevents her from marrying the man she loves. The film was nominated for a Golden Globe and became the highest-grossing Spanish-language film ever released in the United States at the time.
I Hate Love (2012) was initially released as part of the famed Morelia International Film Festival. Centering on Robo, a young Mexican boy who lost his hearing in a tragic accident, and Eve, a troubled American girl, it has the typical love triangle format but a far more intriguing premise: Eve helps Robo to hear again.
The team behind the Disney-Pixar animation Coco (2017) went to great lengths to make sure the film had an authentic feel. The finished product is a kind of love letter to Mexico that celebrates its music, culture and many unique traditions. Set in a small Mexican town, the film tells the story of Miguel, a boy determined to follow in the footsteps of his musical hero Ernesto De La Cruz. When he travels to the Land of the Dead, Miguel finds both the joy of music and the even greater joy of family love and support.
Mexico in Print
Luis Alberto Urrea's novel The Hummingbird's Daughter is an epic mystical drama of a young woman's sudden sainthood in late 19th-century Mexico. A 16-year-old girl, Teresita, illegitimate but beloved daughter of the wealthy and powerful rancher Don Tomas Urrea, wakes from the strangest dream--a dream that she has died. Only it was not a dream. This passionate and rebellious young woman has arisen from death with a power to heal--but it will take all her faith to endure the trials that await her and her family now that she has become the Saint of Cabora.
In Sliced Iguana, Isabella Tree peels off Mexico’s outer layer and allows you to see underneath the clichés to the heart and reality of the country’s traditions, including long-standing indigenous practices, shamanism, and the Day of the Dead.
Where the Sky Is Born: Living in the Land of the Maya by Jeanine Kitchel is a memoir that follows her move to the region, from buying a beach house on the then-virgin sands of Puerto Morelos, to settling into Mexican life. Be warned though: the relaxing tone of her descriptions of life in the Yucatan may make you want to cancel your flight home.
Happy reading and safe travels!
