The Echo
In a village nestled deep in the hills of Puebla, three rural families find hope and struggle within the unyielding demands of nature and community in this tender and visually stunning new documentary from acclaimed director Tatiana Huezo.
With its green forested hills, lush rolling pastures, creeks, and wildlife, the tiny village of El Eco in the Mexican state of Puebla is every bit the postcard-perfect getaway most people would love to experience. But for the small, tightly knit group of families that have lived and farmed there for generations, El Eco gives as much as she takes, providing life, sustenance, and is too often a place to run far away from. For bright pre-teen Sarahí, lack of money means dreams of being a teacher will have to wait, while wide-eyed Luz Ma wonders why her mother never gets credit for the unending work she does for family and home. And teenaged Monse, charged with taking care of her ailing grandmother, wants nothing more than to race horses, a dream quickly crushed and leading to a decision made of both desperation and hope. Following-up her acclaimed 2021 feature Prayers for the Stolen and the winner of the Best Documentary and Best Director—Encounters Competition at the 2023 Berlinale, Tatiana Huezo returns to documentary filmmaking with a tour de force, firmly establishing herself as a major voice in international cinema. Beautifully shot by DP Ernesto Pardo, whose patient camera captures moments of raw, often shocking beauty, The Echo is a lyrical and moving portrait of a people and natural world that are alive, unending, and always in motion.
- Original Language Title: El Eco
- Director: Tatiana Huezo
- Principal Cast: Montserrat Hernández Hernández, Luz María Vázquez González, Sarahí Rojas Hernández, María de los Ángeles Pacheco Tapia
- Premiere Status: US
- Country: Mexico, Germany
- Year: 2023
- Running Time: 102 min.
- Producer: Tatiana Huezo, Dalia Reyes
- Screenplay: Tatiana Huezo
- Cinematographers: Ernesto Pardo
- Editors: Lucrecia Gutiérrez, Tatiana Huezo
- Music: Leonardo Heiblum, Jacobo Lieberman
- Website: Official Film Website
- Awards: Berlin International Film Festival 2023 (Best Documentary, Director — Encounters)
- Filmography: Prayers for the Stolen (2021), Temprestad (2016), Absences (2015), The Empty Classroom (2015), The Tiniest Place (2011)
- Language: Spanish
- Has Subtitles: Yes
- International Sales: The Match Factory