Yalitza Aparicio: “I was one of those women who, when she was in her place, had a different way of thinking” | Entertainment in the United States

Yalitza Aparicio (30 years old) is currently a reference for Mexico and the indigenous heritage of the Mexican people. Originally from Tlaxiaco, Oaxaca, her father is from a town that belongs to Santa Catarina Yosonotú, and her mother is from Joya del Mamey, in Putla. Yalitza earned a degree in early childhood and preschool education, which allowed her to work as a preschool teacher until she made her film debut as Cleo in the movie Rome, by Alfonso Cuarón, in 2018, which earned her an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress, being the first indigenous woman and the second Mexican woman to achieve that feat. In 2019, the magazine time included her in the list of the 100 most influential people in the world, and in October of that same year she was named UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador for Indigenous Peoples.

This 2024, the Mexican actress returns to the cinema, but this time lending her voice as a narrator of The Amazons of Yaxunaha film that follows the inspiring journey of a team of 26 passionate female softball players, ages 13 to 62, who break gender stereotypes and overcome immense challenges to pursue their passion for the sport. A project, presented during the New York Latino Film Festival, in which Aparicio has seen herself reflected and about which EL PAÍS talks with her and her director, Alfonso Algara.

Ask. Alfonso, how did you come to direct this project?

Alfonso Algara. They sent me an article from New York Times where they talked about a group of women in the Yucatecan jungle who were playing baseball in traditional costumes, and it obviously seemed to me to be a very beautiful, exciting story. The problem is that in this place there is no phone signal, there is no internet, it was super difficult to communicate with them. So I went alone to meet them and it was incredible.

Q. Yalizta, what was your reaction when you received the script to narrate the film?

Yalitza Aparicio. It was surprising because we had already been told that the director was not Mexican. Like you always think that you have to be from the center of the heart of the community to have that way of thinking or to refer to someone. When I learned about their entire process to get along with them, to gain their trust and get to know them more deeply, that was when I understood why there was such affection for them.

Q. Were you involved in the development of the script or did you provide suggestions?

ALREADY It is something that was happening as it was being talked about. We were already recording and I asked “what is the intention of this part? It’s just that I feel this way, let’s try it and see which one fits. So, it was that game of proposing and seeing what sounded best.

Q. What was the biggest challenge during the filming process?

AA What interested me most was in gaining their trust and that was what I dedicated the most time to. I really took great care that my team was involved, that they sat at the table with them, that we ate with them, that we slept in their hammocks, in their houses, that we played with their children, that everyone was on the same channel.

Q. What was your reaction when you saw the entire film?

ALREADY Marvelous. I think there were little things out there that I hadn’t seen yet from the clips, because what they sent us wasn’t edited yet. But when I saw it at the end it was surprising to know how they had developed all the effects. What was being seen was too shocking.

Q. What is the message you want people to take away?

ALREADY Progress is teamwork, nothing can be achieved if forces are not joined, if there is no collaboration. Many times they say “this is only for the indigenous community”, but how would this story have gotten to this point if Alfonso and the rest of the team had not trusted them? The other thing is also the union between women, supporting each other, always looking forward, the fact of how we face so many things and showing that strength as warriors to continue.

Q. How much of yourself did you see in those women’s stories?

ALREADY Many things, from the day I met them until now, I think there are many things that I still say, “Of course, I went through that or I also thought that or I lived that.”

Q. Is it difficult for you to see that society still imposes limitations on women or that there are women clinging to past beliefs?

ALREADY I understand a little, because I was one of those women who, when she was in her place, had a different way of thinking. They told me “you’re too old, you don’t have children, poor thing.” But once I left there to another context, where all the women around me said: “I just returned from Paris and I went to London, I went to Los Angeles…”, and I asked them: “and your husband doesn’t Does he say anything to you?” I saw that the reaction was not one of annoyance, but of astonishment. When you learn another perspective on life you discover things that you had not been taught in your context. Nowadays, with social networks, with the media, it lends itself a little more to making you realize that you, even if you are a woman, have the right to study, you have the right to travel, if you want you can get married or if not you don’t. If you want, you have children… But if you are inside and locked up, or surrounded by these comments, it is a bit complicated.