They Tried To Bury Us They Didn't Know We Were Seeds

A Collaboration (between artists: dancers, musicians, film makers and social justice activists, community organizers) Inspired after the tragic disappearance of 43 Mexican students, who've been missing since last September of 2014. Since this tragedy, artists from around the world have responded by using different forms of expression, seeking to inspire a global response action and spread awareness around about this event and the thousands of the other human right violations taking place in Mexico.

We were the first to do this via dance film, The dance film taps into the resilience of each collaborator - featuring Mexican Indigenous Danza ( the first dance film to show indigenous Danza) , Classical Ballet, Contemporary & Hip-Hop/ Flex. The process of this creative collaboration also seeks to demonstrate the healing power dance holds when dealing with trauma, the pain and histories we hold in our bodies, and connecting cultures and communities around the world.

The film score of the dance film layers harmonious and machine-like percussion evocative of change, indigenous instruments contrasting powerful audio clips with messaging and information about the disappearance of the students, ( voices of their parents) original audio of a testimony of a survivor student of the disappearance is heard, He describes the role the Mexican military played the night of the disappearance, you also hear the voice of Eric Garner, showing solidarity to the struggle against police brutality in the United States, as well as messaging about and other crimes committed by the Mexican military against innocent civilians and what individuals can do to help bring justice to Mexico.

  • Daisy Bugarin (Director of Film/Project)
    Director
    Founder of Semillas Collective
  • Lisa Kobdish ( Director of Dance)
    Director
  • Max Kanowitz (Director of Sound)
    Director
  • Mark Davis (Cinematography)
    Director
  • Daisy Bugarin
    Writer
  • Lisa Kobdish
    Writer
  • Community
    Writer
  • Daisy Bugarin
    Producer
  • Project Type:
    Experimental
  • Runtime:
    10 minutes 30 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    September 26, 2015
  • Production Budget:
    0 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    Spanish
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Screened at First Indigenous Peoples Tribunal on Mexico
    New York City
    United States
    September 26, 2017
    USA: Premier
Director Biography - Daisy Bugarin (Director of Film/Project), Lisa Kobdish ( Director of Dance), Max Kanowitz (Director of Sound), Mark Davis (Cinematography)

Daisy is the founder of Semillas, a collective that connects art, healing and strategy to inspire action. In 2015, Semillas produced “They Tried to Bury Us They Didn’t Know We Were Seeds,” a dance film inspired by ongoing state repression both in Mexico and in the U.S. Since helping present the case of the missing 43 students of Ayotzinapa, during the Indigenous People’s Forum at the United Nation. She attributes her growth as an artist and a healer to the children, indigenous elders and fellow women she’s met in communities in resistance. Her practice is rooted in the belief that: the revolution begins in our own bodies. To revolutionize is to evolve and heal. Thus, incorporating healing through art/creative collaborations into our movements is vital.

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Director Statement

This is the first film I've directed. As someone who is not trained in fim, I never imagined I would have the opportunity to produce a project like this. But to overcome the censorship/facism of todays political climate, you have to be more creative than the oppressor. I hope this film inspires film makers to continue collaborating with artists of different mediums, cross-culturally, and our indigenous communities, to ensure that they can tell their own narrative in a beautiful and dignified way.