We seek to tell the stories of our Mexican-Arizonan family to shed light on the complex history surrounding the border. Our mixed-medium project unveils the long history of institutionalized racism against the Brown people in Southern Arizona through a celebration of the unique culture of Mexican-Americans living in Clifton, Arizona.
We use archival photos, watercolor puppets, stop motion, and digital animation to portray the dream-like nostalgia of the oral history of our relatives living in Clifton. We embrace collage and the time-bending power of storytelling to invite our audience into this remote town. This film gives the audience a peek into our family while confirming that these are stories we all share. “Girls in Serapes, or How to Walk Up a Hill Without Taking a Step,” is a cheeky tale about our family matriarch and a clandestine walk up a very steep hill.
