Juan of the Witches

(Juan de las Brujas)
Andrew Houchens | Documentary

2019 | 18 minutes | Mexico, United States

An homage to 82-year-old Juan Medellín, a founding member of Mexico City's prestigious Ballet Folklórico de Amalia Hernández. 

Biography Dance + Performing Arts History Body Image Gender + Sexuality Studies Health + Aging Short Films North America
Synopsis

Juan of the Witches honors 82-year-old Juan Medellín's legacy as a founding company member of Mexico City's prestigious Ballet Folklórico de Amalia Hernández. An intimate portrait of a life richly lived and a testament to the power and the force of art, the film uses colorful hand-drawn animation to illustrate cherished memories from Medellin's childhood and introduction to dance to his heyday with the Ballet from the 1960s to 1970s.

Inspired by the director’s first encounter with Medellín on the day of the September 19, 2017 earthquake, the film is also a humble love letter to Mexico through the eyes of a foreigner.

Citation
Main credits

Houchens, Andrew (filmmaker)
Fernandez Ferri, Marina (film producer)
Medellín Taboada, Juan José (on-screen participant)

Other credits

Cinematography, Elías Martín del Campo; editing, Carlos Rojas Felice; music, Alex Dempster, Oscar Goldman, Alantl Molina.


Citation
Cataloging
Keywords
biography,autobiography,biopic,memoir,life history,bio,biographer,biographical,personal account,personal history,diary,personal narrative,sketch,profile,personal letters,letters,journal,personal record,dance,performing arts,dramatics,music,musical theatre,musical theater,entertainment,performance,performer,performers,dancer,dancers,dancing,musical,pageantry,scenes,live performance,recorded performance,choreography,movement,choreographer,history,context,narrative,past,chronicle,lore,annals,historic,personal history,archive,record,saga,biography,memoir,study,body image,appearance,body dissatisfaction,eating disorders,body acceptance,acceptance,body dysmorphic disorder,body dysmorphia,negative body image,distorted body image,confidence,self-esteem,self acceptance,fat acceptance,body acceptance,positive body image,negative body image,weight,fat,overweight,obesity,gender,sexuality,gender roles,gender identity,sexual orientation,gender equality,gender pronouns,gender studies,gender spectrum,gender norms,gender roles,gender stereotypes,sexual selection,sexualization,sexual awakening,puberty,pubescence,health,healthy,physical health,mental health,emotional health,health equity,public health,health care,health policy,fitness,veracity,welfare,soundness,aging,age,old age,senior,youth,middle age,aging gracefully,advanced age,collective health,maturity,short films,short film,short,non-feature,run time,short run time,running time,short running time,live-action short,documentary short,animated short,live-action short film,documentary short film,animated short film,north america,america,us,usa,united states,united states of america,us mexico and canada,map of north america,north american countries,states of north america,provinces of north america,countries of north america,continental america; "Juan of the Witches"; Pragda Films
Clips
No clips are available yet.
Festivals

Montclair Film Festival; San Francisco Latino Film Festival; New Fest New York’s LGBTQ Film Festival; Chicago Latino Film Festival; Dance Camera West Festival; Madrid Film Festival FCM-PNR - Audience Award Prize for Best International Short; Guadalajara International Film Festival; Festival Mix Brasil; Guanajuato International Film Festival; GAZE: LGBT Film Festival; ShortsMexico; Ville Film Fest

DIRECTOR: Andrew Houchens

NATIONALITY: Mexico, United States

YEAR: 2019

GENRE: Documentary

LANGUAGE: Spanish

COLOR / B&W: Color

GRADE LEVEL: High School, College, Adult

SUBTITLE/CC: AVAILABLE

AUDIO DESCRIPTION: NOT AVAILABLE

Existing customers, please log in to view this film.

New to Pragda? Register to request a quote.

Related Films

READ MORE

Santo Domingo Waltz

Vals de Santo Domingo
Documentary Dominican Republic
An exploration of machismo culture through the eyes of the only three male ballet students in a class of 20 in the Dominican Republic.
READ MORE

The Sweet Taste of Success

El dulce sabor del éxito
Documentary Spain
An intimate reflection on the concept of success, with an extraordinary main character and interviews with internationally renowned figures.
READ MORE

Horizons

Horizontes
Documentary Cuba, Switzerland
Alicia Alonso’s splendor still radiates throughout the world of ballet today. A star so brilliant, she has captivated audiences worldwide. Even now at the age of ninety, she continues to encourage the dreams of young dancers who seek to follow in her footsteps.
READ MORE

9 Sevilles

Nueve Sevillas
Documentary, Experimental Spain
An unorthodox walk through new flamenco by way of nine portraits of figure,s from dance, singing, poetry and activism.
READ MORE

Tito, Margot and Me

Tito, Margot Y Yo
Documentary Panama, Colombia
The love story between the British ballerina Margot Fonteyn and her husband, the charismatic Panamanian diplomat Tito Arias.
READ MORE

Living Kultur

Documentary Spain
An imagined performance where dantzaris, artisans, and dragons are protagonists of a common story, materializing the immaterial Navarre.
READ MORE

Over the Waves: A Story of Flamenco in the U.S.

Sobre las olas
Documentary, Musical United States
For over a hundred years, the art of flamenco has been crossing the ocean into distant places. Many have fallen in love with the deep song, the cry, the rhythm. Over the Waves explores the tradition of flamenco art in the US: its origins, protagonists, and its identity as a nomadic and hybrid art form.
READ MORE

Castanha

Drama, Fiction Brazil
Joao divides his time working as a crossdresser in gay bars and acting in small plays and onscreen. Tormented by his past, he starts to merge reality with the fiction he interprets.
READ MORE

Angélica [a tragedy]

Angélica [una tragedia]
Documentary Spain
Recipient of important awards in Spain and abroad, Angélica Liddell's dramaturgy is considered one of the most avant-garde in contemporary European theater. As Liddell starts working in her new play, director Manuel Fernández-Valdés decides to capture her rehearsal process on camera.
READ MORE

The Apizaco Shaman

El brujo de Apizaco
Documentary Mexico
The stormy life of Mexican bullfighter Rodolfo Rodríguez González and his alter ego "THE PANA," who worked as a baker, gravedigger, and bundles loader before becoming a bullfighter.
READ MORE

The Cathedral

The Cathedral
Documentary Spain, Slovakia
After expulsion from a monastery, a Spanish monk dedicates 60 years to building a cathedral from discarded and recycled materials. Madman or a genius?
READ MORE

Off the Road

Fuera del camino
Documentary, Musical Mexico, United States
Each year, the slow-paced lifestyle on Mexico’s largest desert in Baja Peninsula is given a turbo boost by the Baja 1000, the largest off-road motorsport race in the world.

Related Collections

Spanish Language Films

A cinematic highlight of the magic and diversity of the Spanish language.

Number of titles: 440

SEE COLLECTION >
Bite-Size Cinema

Films come in all sizes! Enjoy this collection of short films with tall intentions. Each story is a miniature masterpiece, weaving powerful narratives that capture the essence of life, love, and everything in between, in limited time.

Number of titles: 113

SEE COLLECTION >
The Arts

A fascinating journey into the creative process and the transformative power of artistic expression.

Number of titles: 113

SEE COLLECTION >
High School Collection

Given varying criteria for content ratings and age restrictions in different regions, Pragda STREAM recommends faculty watch films in their entirety before assigning them to students.

Number of titles: 509

SEE COLLECTION >
The Pragda Complete Film Collection

The essence of Spain and Latin America captured in their original language with English captions or subtitles.

Number of titles: 637

SEE COLLECTION >
Documentary Chronicles

A truthful examination and captivating glimpse into the complexities of the region.

Number of titles: 385

SEE COLLECTION >
Mexican Films

A collection of fascinating titles, from recent films to restored jewels, that highlight the significance of Mexican cinema’s quality and status while encompassing different aspects of the country's culture and traditions.

Number of titles: 76

SEE COLLECTION >