Honoring the dead
Día de los Muertos celebration to include film ‘Coco’
Honoring our ancestors is the purpose of Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead.
Learn and be part of the Mexican tradition on Saturday, Oct. 27, and Sunday, Oct. 28, at the South Broadway Cultural Center. It all begins with the showing of the documentary “Noche de Ánimas Tzintzuntzan,” which is presented in collaboration with the Mexican Consulate. The film depicts the Feast of the Faithfully Departed in the P’urépecha community of Tzintzuntzan in the state of Michoacán, Mexico, according to the cultural center’s website. It features preparation for the celebration, the altars, and how the sharing with the dead strengthens family ties and spiritual kinship, the website adds.
The Disney film “Coco” will be shown after the documentary. The animated film follows aspiring musician Miguel, who enters the Land of the Dead to find his great-great-grandfather, a legendary singer.
The celebration continues with music, dance, a magic show, a car show and food trucks on Saturday. The event also will showcase the “Dead Market,” at which artisans will sell their Día de los Muertos-themed art, jewelry and more. There will be a second showing of “Coco” at 4:15 p.m.
Attendees also will be able to peruse the traditional and contemporary
ofrendas created to honor the deceased. An ofrenda features a collection of objects placed on an altar created for a person who has died. The ofrenda is intended to welcome the deceased to the altar setting.
They will be in the gallery and library areas of the cultural center. The
ofrendas will be judged by members of the Mexican Consulate. Winners will be announced at 1:50 p.m. A community
ofrenda where eventgoers can place photographs of their departed loved ones will be on hand.
“The main focus is what’s going on in the gallery, but we will have other activities going on for that as well,” said Georgia Michael, manager at South Broadway Cultural Center. “For the live entertainment, there is music and Aztec dancers, as well as Ballet Folklorico Fiesta Mexicana. Also, we are going to have La Rondalla de Albuquerque. They’re going to play music. They play, like, rancheras and play a little bit of a variety. They’ve been here every year. They’re a lot of fun. They are doing a ‘Show ‘n’ Shine’ (car show). We asked them to do altars in their vehicles or decorate their cars for the event. We invite people to come. Anybody who would like to come can come. It’s open.”
The will remain at the cultural center through Nov. 17. The public can view them from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.