Causar Alta (To EnList)

Why does anyone decide to enlist in the Mexican army? Seven San Juan Guichicovi, Oaxaca, inhabitants explain that this decision, more than a choice, has been and continues to be the only viable way to survive for many in one of the poorest areas of Mexico.

This documentary was originally released in 2015. It’s an independent film, produced by the Dospasosabajo Collective. After being exhibited in Argentina, Cuba and Uruguay, it was published online for different interested audiences beyond commercial tours and distributed in a small collection DVD run.


https://vimeo.com/107876566

This documentary explores the relation between military and poorness in Mexico, focused in San Juan Guichicovi, a mixed indigenous town located in Oaxaca, where career opportunities mostly go between being a teacher or being a soldier.

Retired army members explain the reasons they had for enlisting and narrate what they faced when fighting members of EZLN, peasants just as them, or during Felipe Calderon’s government, in the context of narco war.