Itu Ninu

Introduction

The film Itu Ninu revolves around the main characters, Angel and Sofia, who serendipitously discover their shared heritage in the same region of Mexico. To connect with each other on a deeper level, they begin exchanging heartfelt letters written in Mixtec. While the film incorporates various AI systems that provide updates on climate conditions and VISA statuses through English voice notifications, these moments only constitute a small portion of the overall narrative. More than 70% of the texts in the film are in Mixtec.

Mixtec Texts and Intimate Expressions

The Mixtec texts in the film were crafted by the collaborative efforts of Armando Bautista Garcia and Itandehui Jansen. These texts delve into the characters’ memories, hopes, and dreams, resulting in a more personal and intimate connection with the audience. Unlike the generic system voice notifications, which serve a functional purpose, the Mixtec texts resonate with the characters’ innermost thoughts and emotions. Through this narrative device, the film explores the profound sense of isolation experienced by migrants when they lack opportunities to converse in their native language.

Preserving Indigenous Languages: A Complex Reality

From its inception, Itu Ninu aimed to celebrate and preserve the Mixtec language. Consequently, Armando Bautista was chosen to portray the character of Angel, as he was one of the few Mixtec-speaking actors available in Scotland, where the film was made. The role of Sofia, on the other hand, was played by Mexican actress Alejandra Herrera, whose grandparents have Zapotec and Mixtec heritage. Regrettably, Alejandra does not speak Mixtec—a predicament that reflects a widespread issue. Due to historical policies that enforced Spanish usage among Indigenous language speakers in Mexico, many young people today, despite their direct ties to Indigenous communities, may not be fluent in their ancestral languages. Linguist and activist Yasnaya Aguilar extensively explores the context and issues that led to a decrease in speakers of an Indigenous language in her book  Ää: Manifiestos sobre la diversidad lingüística (Almadía, 2023).

Embodying Sofia’s Character: The Blend of Performance and Voice

To bring Sofia’s character to life, the filmmakers therefore decided to combine Alejandra Herrera’s acting prowess with the captivating voice of Mixtec poet Nadia  Ñuu Savi. Nadia, renowned for her poetry books written in Mixtec and Spanish, possesses a deep understanding of the language’s nuances. She gracefully adapted Armando Bautista’s original text to her specific variant of Mixtec, resulting in the inclusion of two distinct variants of Mixtec in the film.

Angel’s letters reveal a glimpse of his profound emotions and you can watch a small fragment here, subtitles can be turned on under “cc”:

Exploring the Art of Filmmaking in Mixtec

If you’re intrigued by the process of creating films in Mixtec, we invite you to watch a conversation we had at a webinar hosted by Prof. Dr. Gaspar Rivera Salgado for the UCLA Latin American Institute. Follow this link to delve deeper into the topic.

Conclusion

By embracing Mixtec as its primary language, the film serves as a poignant reminder of the importance of celebrating and revitalizing Indigenous languages in a rapidly changing world.