Private Project

TIERRA

“TIERRA” is an experimental film piece directed by Fana Adjani. This story speaks about the recognition of the destruction, the transformation, the loss of territory, gender identity, ecofeminisms, and among other topics: the relationship within the feminist struggle, the defense of territory and seed, the recognition of the “self”, an identity within the maps and geographies of Latin America.

Latin America is nature and seed, but not only so, it is also collective memory, creation of culture. “TIERRA” was shot on location in Oaxaca, within the Sierra of San José del Pacífico, in Mexico. Oaxaca is a place that reflects various paradigms and dialogue axes both local and global, a space of social and environmental conflicts. “TIERRA” takes place in the forest, as a metaphor for the world within, because Latin America is dying. It is set within its own magical surrealism.

The original score by Simón Mejía (Bomba Estéreo) perfectly captures and enhances the mythological spirit of the piece while also transforming it into a futuristic opus.

In the realm of Mesoamerican/shamanistic beliefs of going toward the interior self, Lukas ‘nahual’ (a supernatural being who possesses the ability to transform his/herself into an animal) is birthed by our home, Mother Earth, and sets off in a quest, Light as his guide, and only chaos to provide the clarity that is missing. It is there where Lukas finds his/her gaze in the gaze of the other woman: Li (of Bomba Estéreo), they are a single entity and they know it, “one me in the other me”. We witness constant representations of the unfolding.

Lukas is transformed, Lukas ‘muxe’ is unity and strength. (“Muxe” is a third gender, unique within the Bernanke Za’a Zapotec culture; muxes are people born with biological characteristics of the male sex who asume traditionally social and cultural female roles as they develop through life.)

They find each other, they accompany each other, only in the collective embrace is where we find dance as a constant pulse of Life, it is a detonator of hope and action, they are a profound revolution and they demand justice as an expansion of the present and coming change, only through the vindication of Women can Latin America ever be free.

As the premise of the fight for the invisible peoples (which could be the premise of this piece) reads: “For the defense of joy and the organization of rage.”

  • Fana Adjani
    Director
  • Fana Adjani
    Writer
  • Daiset Sarquis
    Writer
  • Lukas Avendaño
    Key Cast
  • Liliana Saumet
    Key Cast
  • Daniel Galván Leon
    Producer
  • Jorge Perelló
    Producer
  • Max Cetto
    Producer
  • Emilio Valdés
    Photography
    Rezeta (2012), Viena and the Fantomes (2020)
  • Simón Mejía
    Original Music
    Sonic Forest
  • Ernie Schaeffer
    Color
    Our Time (2018)
  • Carlos Cortés
    Re-recording mixer
    Sound of Metal (2019) - Oscar Winner
  • Juan Manuel Torreblanca
    Post-production & Editing Consultant
  • Milo Villegas Cervantes
    Art Department
    Luis Miguel (Netflix)
  • Elit Rue
    Costume Design
  • Pompi García
    Styling
  • Santiago Lirola
    Sound Design
  • Pere George
    Sound Design
  • Eddie Rojas
    Sound Design
  • Luz González
    Make-up & Hair
  • Bomba Estéreo
    Executive Producers
  • M3 Music
    Executive Producers
  • Sony Music US Latin
    Executive Producers
  • Daniel Galván León
    Executive Producers
  • Jorge Perelló
    Executive Producers
  • Miguel Hurtado
    Executive Producers
  • Accounting & Film
    Executive Producers
  • Rodolfo Rodríguez 'Kcho'
    Steadycam Operator
  • Zitlali Vargas
    First Assistant Camera / Focus Puller
  • Guillermo Canan
    Direction & Screenwriting Consultant
  • Geminiano Pineda
    Production & Post-production Consultant
  • Project Title (Original Language):
    TIERRA
  • Project Type:
    Experimental, Short
  • Genres:
    Fantasy, Queer, LGBTQ+, Fiction, Experimental, Indigenous, Native Peoples, Magical Realism, Drama, Ecologist, Environmentalism
  • Runtime:
    14 minutes 58 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    November 17, 2021
  • Production Budget:
    60,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    Mexico
  • Country of Filming:
    Mexico
  • Language:
    Spanish
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital, 4K, Alexa Mini
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Fana Adjani

“The most distinguished Mexican stage director and choreographer in recent times.” - Forbes Magazine, 2020.

Considered by the specialized critics of the formerly Mexican National Council for the Culture & The Arts (now the Federal Secretariat of Culture of the Mexican government) as:

“One of the artists that is spearheading the current movement of aesthetic, thematic and corporeal rupture within Mexican dance in the XXIst Century.” - Homero Bazán.

She was part of the Consulting Council of the DanzaUNAM of the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) one of the most important Universities worldwide.

Her artistic work is multidisciplinary, and it stems from the exploration of the reflection of the body and of choreography as a medium, which has led her to explore cinema, performance, stage work among many other veins of art; and she has collaborated with national and international artists and brands of music, cinema and advertisement such as Sam Smith, Disclosure, Enrique Iglesias, Natalia Lafourcade, Carla Morrison, Andrea Bocelli, Eung Jung Choi, Jonás Cuarón, Ryan Hope, Nike, NH Hotels (staging a one of a lifetime 1,000 people performance/happening in the Mexico City International Airport), Facebook, Pepsi, among many other personalities and brands.

Her work has been seen by millions around the world, and has reached some of the most unprecedented places. With her work as choreographer in the last tour and album "Amor Supremo" (which in itself won three Latin Grammy's and a nomination for the 59th Annual Grammy Awards 2017), for the artist Carla Morrison, she achieved something unprecedented for any Mexican contemporary dance choreographer with the video single for the song “Vez Primera” being premiered and projected by Apple Music in Times Square.

She staged a live performance piece in collaboration with the luminic installation Skalar (Germany), for which she was invited by Facebook. She has performed as an artist in Museums such as the Chopo Museo Universitario (UNAM), MUAC (Museo Universitario de Arte Contemporáneo-UNAM) and in venues such as Palacio Nacional de Bellas Artes (National Palace of Fine Arts).

Her audiovisual work ‘Whole Body’ was featured in the Overkill Festival in the Netherlands.

She currently serves as the creative director & artistic curator for the album 'Deja' by Bomba Estéreo, as well as director for the short film TIERRA.

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Director Statement

In this project within human collectiveness is where we find the detonator of hope and action, amongst the feminist struggle, the defense of territory, the seed, the ‘muxeidad’, the diversity and the interculturality, Latin America can be free.