Private Project

Parallel Stories in Santa Gertrudis

Santa Gertrudis is a nature reserve that
was once a shade-grown coffee plantation. In this
space, the stories of the people and the
other beings that coexist in the same
territory run parallel and seemingly
separate. Listening to them will challenge our
idea of conservation because if we are also nature,
where are the lines that divide us?

  • Alberto Lobato
    Director
  • Alberto Lobato
    Writer
  • Bernardo A. Bastien-Olvera
    Producer
  • National Geographic Society
    Special Acknowledgment
  • Project Title (Original Language):
    Historias Paralelas en Santa Gertrudis
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Runtime:
    12 minutes 18 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    August 1, 2023
  • Production Budget:
    1,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    Mexico
  • Country of Filming:
    Mexico
  • Language:
    Spanish
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Alberto Lobato

A birdwatcher since the age of eleven and a graduate in Biology from the Universidad Veracruzana, since 2017 he has been the creator of the outreach project 'Crónicas del Chivizcoyo, Historias de Aves', disseminating knowledge and the relationship between birds, human beings, and their conservation issues in Mexico and Latin America.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

Throughout my travels, I have seen and heard stories that challenge the preconceived ideas we often have about nature and conservation as distant elements, running parallel to the lives and endeavors of people who share the same space.

In this way, 'Parallel Stories in Santa Gertrudis' unfolds in a territory cohabited by people, animals, and other beings, where through the parallel perspectives of the people and one of the most emblematic birds of the region, spaces, food, voices, and narratives interconnect.

These parallel stories help us see that the lines separating us from what we call nature are not an insurmountable frontier but, on the contrary, an opportunity to coexist.