Film Depicts History of Mexico on the Cusp of National Hispanic Heritage Month

Janson Media joins in paying tribute to the generations of Hispanic Americans who began the celebration of National Hispanic Heritage Month today (September 15-October 15). Hispanic Heritage Month begins on September 15, the anniversary of independence for five Latin American countries—Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. In addition, we recognize Mexico, which declared its independence on September 16, and Chile on September 18. A visual story of Mexico's dynamic history is told in the Giant Screen Film, Mexico (1 x 43'), originally filmed for release in IMAX® theaters. The Giant Screen Films Collection includes other such larger than life titles as Siegfried & Roy, Ocean Men and Dinosaurs: Giants of Patagonia, all of which have been down-converted to HDTV. Using text from Mexican novelist Carlos Fuentes and ancient Aztec and Mayan poetry, narrators Martin Sheen (in English) and Enrique Rocha (in Spanish) lead viewers on a visual journey through this country"s rich and varied past and present. Stunning images and a dramatic musical score by Daniel Valdez create a vivid, insightful portrait of the Mexican people and their culture. Stunning Giant Screen images and a dramatic musical score by Daniel Valdez create a vivid, insightful portrait of the Mexican people and their culture. From the tumultuous crowds at the annual lndependence Day celebration in Mexico City, viewers are transported back three millennia to the ancient Olmec, Toltec, Zapotec, Totanac, Aztec and Maya civilizations - the roots of Mexican culture. The abrupt, violent contact with Spanish conquerors in the early 16th century, dramatized in the overpowering images of Diego Rivera and other Mexican muralists, gives way to the fusion of cultures and the birth of a new society. Weaving together powerful visual testimonies of the past with current celebrations of age-old traditions, Mexico"s history and culture come marvelously alive, shaping and reshaping the nation"s path as it moves into the 21st century.