Hot Docs 2022 presents The Hostilities

The Hostilities (2021) directed by M. Sebastian Molina is a documentary where the peace and tranquility of a small Mexican town’s recent past are confronted with its new reality.  The film is subtitled.

Hollywood films and Netflix TV shows about Mexican cartels have dramatized the violence which, in my opinion, has trivialized it to spectacle and entertainment and done a disservice to the victims of cartel violence, to their families and communities.  This documentary addresses this imbalance in a radical way by not showcasing any footage of violent images.

The documentary shines a light on the reality of a small town in Mexico where the threat of violence has become part of the fabric of its day-to-day existence as told through the experiences of his multi-generational family members who live in the town but mainly through the eyes of his young male cousins grappling with its omnipotent presence.  And where self-defense against violence weighs on their conscience and where the pull of a life of crime has become a lifestyle option due to its benefits.  Furthermore, the documentary isn’t your typical documentary filled with talking heads of experts weighing in about Mexico’s new reality but is instead an intimate portrait of his multi-generational family and his father’s hometown dealing with the new ethos of their community.

The director gives his documentary a complexity and richness through his use of raw, uncensored footage where no one speaks directly to the camera and where the images are layered with voice-overs.  The complexity of his documentary is further enriched with his use of various film formats such as video and 16 mm film footage, the juxtaposition of close-ups and medium angle shots against wide-angle shots of his subjects, and the juxtaposition of ‘in focus’ and ‘out of focus’ images of his young male cousins, the main protagonists of his film.  Molina has succeeded in creating an intriguing documentary deserving of your attention.