Synopsis
Filmmaker Xun Sero grew up as a Tzotzil Mexican among the sacredness of the Virgin of Guadalupe and Mother Earth. As the son of a single mother, he grew up between mockery for not having a father and blaming his mother for it. Mom is a dialogue between a mother and a son who explore their contradictions, who know and recognize each other, and reflect on the perpetuation of naturalized violence.
A word from Tënk
It was in 2018, in the heart of San Cristóbal de Las Casas—a city in Chiapas I often returned to after my film shoots—that I first met Xun Sero, in a landmark bar in the historic center. We spoke about our shared commitment to socially engaged filmmaking. I remember him showing me footage from a Son Jarocho music video he had just directed. Despite the surrounding bustle, I immediately sensed in him a remarkable and singular sensitivity, palpable in every camera movement, as well as in the care given to framing and lighting.
This impression was powerfully confirmed with Mom, his first feature-length documentary. He had already told me about the project at the time. The strength of this film lies in its deep dive into his own intimate experience, and in its exploration of patriarchal structures, family dynamics, gender relations, and domestic violence. Xun Sero manages to articulate these themes with rare precision, turning the personal into a vehicle for universality. The film is a journey toward transformation.
Mom is a true lesson in cinema, as it combines a creative process with one of healing—where the filmmaker confronts his cultural heritage in order to transcend it.
Sylvie Lapointe
Filmmaker
