MINING IN MEXICO S - ProMéxico

48 Negocios photos courtesy of la marca del jaguar
Mexico’s Awakening
Victor Mayorga is looping out to revive Mexico’s pre-Columbian
history through a trilogy of animated films, which, even when they are
still in the planning stage, have spurred the interest of the animated
film industry in Mexico and several other countries.
BY KARLA BARAJAS
is important for everybody to be aware of the
history of ancient civilizations in Mesoamerica,
the ordeals of their warriors and the vast
richness of their heritage and culture.
Also, I have great respect for the Chinese
and Japanese cultures and I thought that if
those countries are so proud of their roots
and culture, why can’t Mexico feel the same
way as it has a history unlike any other in
the world
As a child, Victor Mayorga
Figueroa had an indigenous
nanny who inspired his passion
and interest for Mexico’s pre-
Columbian culture. Later, his approach to indigenous
communities increased his interest
in that culture even more.
Mayorga, 32, founded Ocelotl Company,
where he developed the Project La Marca
del Jaguar (www.lmdj.com.mx), aimed at recovering
the history of the Náhuatl culture
from the center of the Mesoamerican region
through anime or cartoons –through a mix
of 2D/3D animation and the toon shader
technique.
Currently Mayorga is working on the film El
Despertar del Fuego (The Fire Awakes), the first
of an animated trilogy based on the history of the
Aztecs before the arrival of the Spaniards and
throughout the arrival of the Conquistadores.
In 2008, Mayorga produced a short film entitled
La Cueva or The Cave. This effort gave birth
to his interest in producing the trilogy and a six
season television series. The trilogy alone will
cost roughly 3 million dollars and it has the support
of organizations such as the Mexican Film
Institute and some private companies.
—How was La Marca del Jaguar born
It is something I came up with, though there
are a lot of people involved in the project.
My contact with ethnic communities set the
precedent in my heart and mind so I could
give them back a dignified history. I think it
—What is El Despertar del Fuego about
It is based on the most important ritual in Mesoamerica,
before the Spanish conquest, which is
called Fuego Nuevo [New Fire]. Every 52 years, the
Aztecs had to protect the World from the dark
forces threatening to prevent the Sun’s rebirth.
According to these cultures, when in the darkness
the Sun travels to the underworld and in order to
be saved, a new fire shall be lit. This reference can
be found on slide 34 in the Codex Borbonicus and
in the texts of Friar Bernardino de Sahagún.
Aztec communities performed this ritual to
return life to the Sun and help it return to fight
evil beings or dark forces trying to unbalance
the light. It was said that before the New Fire, the
dark side beings would rise from the ground to
kill and devour mankind.