I DIED (LI CHAM)

Ana Ts'uyeb’s film tells the story of three Tsotil women: the filmmaker herself, her mother and her aunt, all of whom have lost loved ones, including young infants, to patriarchal violence. The arrival of the Zapatista movement, which fought for indigenous rights, including land reform and redistribution, in Mexico, brings new hope. With it comes the chance to dream, as the women defend what matters to them most: their land and a life built on freedom and possibility. Ts'uyeb’s striking directorial debut is a quiet, lovingly intimate testament to empowerment and the strength of a community that is full of hope for the future.

THE FILMMAKER

Ana Ts’uyeb is from the Tsotsil village Naranjatic Alto in Chenalhó, Chiapas. She is an Intercultural Communicator, translator, and filmmaker. She is a member of Cine Bolomchon, an exhibition space in Chenalhó. Director and producer of her first feature film Li cham (I Died). Her first collaboration was with the Chiapas Radio, Television, and Cinematography System on the program “Palabra en flor”. She is line producer for the documentary feature Riox, Palabra florida and the documentary short Conoce, crea y baila (2021), both directed by María Sojob. She produced and directed the short documentaries Organic Deconstruction and Walks through infancy in 2018 and produced a short documentary Guardians of the Earth for the NGO Cultural Survival in 2024. From 2022-2023, she served as Communications Coordinator in the Americas for the Trickle Up, an NGO focused on the empowerment of indigenous women through financial inclusion. She also serves as translator for the NGO Trápaga, focused on supporting migrants.

AWARDS AND FESTIVALS

Festival Country Award — Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival, Canada
Ojo Award for Best Mexican Documentary Feature — Morelia International Film Festival, Mexico
DOK.horizonte (Nominee) — DOK.fest München, Germany
Sheffield International Documentary Festival, UK
Cartagena International Film Festival, Colombia
Ambulante Documentary Film Festival, Mexico
Festival International de Films de Femmes, France
Ojoloco Festival de Cine Español y Latinoamericano, France
Philadelphia Independent Film Festival, US
Femme Frontera Filmmaker Showcase, US
ACAMPADOC International Documentary Film Festival, Panama
International Images Film Festival for Women, Canada
Panoramica – Festival de Cine Iberoamericano, Sweden
Vancouver International Film Festival , Canada
Arica Nativa / AricaDoc, Chile
Encuentros del Otro Cine (EDOC), Ecuador
North Carolina Latin American Film Festival, US
Globale Mittelhessen Dokumentarfilmfestival, Germany
Cinema South Festival , Israel
Greenmotions Film Festival, Germany
Anthropological Film Festival Jerusalem, Israel
Festival Internacional de Cine de Chiloé, Chile