La Empresa

The “Caminata Nocturna” in El Alberto in Mexico is a strange spectacle: indigenous village residents re-enact illegal border crossings by night for adventure-seeking tourists. Originally intended to stop young people from carrying out such a dangerous endeavor, the re-enactment has developed into the central attraction of a veritable amusement park and the most important source of income for the village. The film team of LA EMPRESA (Germany 2023) thus encounters a business-savvy village community very much used to media attention as well as a terrain already depicted many different times. The self-reflexive essay film by André Siegers deals with this in creative fashion: the black-and-white images are flanked by a narrator speaking in voiceover who comments on how “the Germans” are searching for a story and a stance with fine irony. Following the initial hint given by a migrant, a meta-narrative emerges from the blend of staging, documentary observation and conversation, whereby numerous different roles are allocated and much of life turns out to be question of economy. And the town hall clock plays “Time to say Goodbye”. (Birgit Kohler)