Finlandia
Horacio Alcalá / Mexico, Spain / 2021 / 97 min




Seattle Int'l Film Festival
Best DirectorSan Francisco Int'l LGBTQ Film Fest
Best First Feature NomineeCartagena de Indias Film Festival
Special PrizeConnecticut Out Film
Best FilmToulouse Des-images-aux-mots
Audience AwardCórdoba Film Week
Audience AwardCampeche Film Festival
Best FilmOutshine Fort Lauderdade
Jury Award
Spanish Film Club
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Synopsis
Spanish and Zapotec with English subtitles
With Noé Hernández, Cuauhtli Jiménez, Erick Israel Consuelo
Why will your students love Finlandia? Because it’s a work of art in itself—a vibrant visual poem—it invites you on an intimate journey to reflect on what it means to be a Muxe or Muxhe, Zapotec Indigenous third-gender individuals who have existed in southern Mexico for centuries. Muxes last gained international recognition for their crucial role in rescue efforts following the 2017 Juchitán earthquake. Because of the machista culture in Mexico, Muxes are often seen in caregiver roles and are respected for their work as well as their identity.
Belonging to a community of muxes fighting to reclaim their gender beyond the binary spectrum, Delirio, Amaranta, and Mariano go through their past, present, and future.
Marta, a designer, embarks on a journey to Oaxaca to document its rich traditions. As she navigates the fine line between admiration and cultural appropriation, her perception of reality—and herself—begins to shift. Living among the muxes, she is drawn to their struggles, passions, and unspoken traumas. Immersed in their world, Marta must confront her assumptions, desires, and a deeper meaning of belonging.
When a powerful earthquake shatters their world, they must confront not just the physical destruction, but also the deeper tremors of identity, resilience, and self-expression in a society that both reveres and resists them.
A visually stunning and deeply moving exploration of love, struggle, and the defiant beauty of being oneself, Finlandia is a cinematic ode to the strength of those who dare to live authentically.
Advisory: contains sexual content
Related Subjects
About the Director
Available for Q&As, Masterclasses, and workshops upon request, in English or Spanish.
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After seven years with Cirque du Soleil, Horacio moved to Madrid and began directing projects that blend plastic arts with circus narrative. He is currently developing documentary projects for the European Union through CBC (Cross Border Cooperation) programs and the TESIM program of the European Commission. He also directs short documentaries on human rights for UNHCR.
The festival favorite and award-winning film Finlandia (2021), on a community of muxes fighting to reclaim their gender beyond the binary spectrum, is his latest film.
Press
“A tale of memory, mysticism, and the master creativity of the Muxe. A multifaceted drama filled with life, love, and despair; a glorious explosion of creativity and cultural insight.” – Chad Armstrong, The Queer Review
“A sumptuous visual feast, enhanced by Alcalá’s background working for Cirque du Soleil.” – Doug Rule, Metro Weekly
“Muxe is neither a man nor a woman; it is beyond that. In 2014, Mexico City became the first jurisdiction in the country to legally recognize the third gender on official documents. This recognition allows individuals to choose “gender not specified” on their identification documents, reflecting the commitment to inclusivity and respect for self-identified gender identities.” – Cindy Roaming, Medium
Notes on the Film
“Finland is a country I love very much, and it represents a distant land. We all have a place we wish to go when faced with a problem, and it can even be a made-up name. In the film, I don’t refer to it as a nation, but as a faraway, cold land, opposite to the world of the muxes.”
– Horacio Alcalá, Director