ATENCO, A CRIME OF STATE International Documentary Competition

Atenco is a symbol of pride in Mexico. The documentary that bears its name captures the peoples’ revolt frame-by-frame as it unfolded on May 3 and 4, 2006, by a collective of filmmakers who recorded the darkest days in Mexico’s recent history. Atenco villagers formed the “Peoples Front for Defense of their Land” in response to a government plan for a new Mexico City airport and the reclamation of their land. In May of 2006, they came to the aid of their brothers in neighboring Texcoco when state police blocked flower vendors at a local market . What ensued was a peasant uprising pitting 300 civilians against over 3000 policemen, who used excessive force and violence to quell what they perceived was a mounting rebellion . The result was hundreds wrongfully imprisoned, dozens seriously injured , several brutal rapes and two dead . The filmmakers known as Klamve Colectivo put the viewer in the middle of the violence , with riveting footage from the front lines. Images of villagers and supporters marching on the government , seeking to let their voices be heard to end human rights violations, create a powerful document of our times.