Making Malinche: A Documentary by Nacho Cano

Positive: Music and choreography are superb. Negative: The documentary creates (makes-up) a new, sanitized, version of history, in which Spaniards are the "saviors" from the "uncivilized" Aztecs. The relationship between Malinche and Cortés is staged as one of love and romance. Nothing more away from the historical facts evidenced in the chronicles from Europeans and research from scholars in the field. Malinche was his slave and their relationship was transactional. When he had enough of using her as a translator, Cortés forced her to marry, as she was his property, one of his captains. Cano's reactionary ideas are clear in his assumptions, bias and prejudices about the Other. By erasing history, he seems to attempt to cover up the genocide of indigenous people in the sixteenth century showing an almost pastoral novel. By doing that, Cano made a burlesque and ironic version of the events. It seems at times, as an SNL sketch for the ridiculous and ahistorical claims. The comparison between Cortés and Jesus was jaw dropping. If you want to see dancing and singing, you can probably watch another musical. The documentary never says that all this is fictional. On the contrary, they claim to have done extensive research and even interview some suspicious and non convincing "specialists" in colonial history. From the historical perspective, this is an abomination and lacks respect to a culture that was invaded and destroyed by European greed, like many others, even in modern times. Yes, the mestizaje is wonderful and that is the message on the surface. However, the total fictionalization of history is a disgrace and an insult to your viewers intelligence and knowledge of history, and, for some, even a question of ancestry, ethics and social justice.

Positive: Music and choreography are superb. Negative: The documentary creates (makes-up) a new, sanitized, version of history, in which Spaniards are the "saviors" from the "uncivilized" Aztecs. The relationship between Malinche and Cortés is staged as one of love and romance. Nothing more away from the historical facts evidenced in the chronicles from Europeans and research from scholars in the field. Malinche was his slave and their relationship was transactional. When he had enough of using her as a translator, Cortés forced her to marry, as she was his property, one of his captains. Cano's reactionary ideas are clear in his assumptions, bias and prejudices about the Other. By erasing history, he seems to attempt to cover up the genocide of indigenous people in the sixteenth century showing an almost pastoral novel. By doing that, Cano made a burlesque and ironic version of the events. It seems at times, as an SNL sketch for the ridiculous and ahistorical claims. The comparison between Cortés and Jesus was jaw dropping. If you want to see dancing and singing, you can probably watch another musical. The documentary never says that all this is fictional. On the contrary, they claim to have done extensive research and even interview some suspicious and non convincing "specialists" in colonial history. From the historical perspective, this is an abomination and lacks respect to a culture that was invaded and destroyed by European greed, like many others, even in modern times. Yes, the mestizaje is wonderful and that is the message on the surface. However, the total fictionalization of history is a disgrace and an insult to your viewers intelligence and knowledge of history, and, for some, even a question of ancestry, ethics and social justice.