Preview: The Storm that Swept Mexico Examines the Mexican Revolution
On Sunday, May 15, 2011, at 10:00 p.m. (check local listings), PBS presents The Storm that Swept Mexico, a two-part special shown in one evening. Made by producer/director Raymond Telles and producer/archivist Kenn Rabin, it is an in-depth look at the Mexican Revolution and its repercussions. It was the first major political and social revolution of the twentieth century, and two major figures emerged from the revolution: Zapata (Emiliano Zapata) and Pancho Villa (Francisco “Pancho” Villa).
An elitist government was one of the many causes of the revolution. What did the revolutionaries want? Simple things, like the establishment of long-term democracy, Mexico’s right to its own natural resources, and a redefinition of Mexico itself. Since this was the first revolution to be filmed, The Storm that Swept Mexico features archival motion pictures and photographs, as it offers insight into the events that led to the revolution and the influences upon it, such as United States and European foreign policy.
The first part of The Storm that Swept Mexico, The Tiger Is Unleashed, documents the fight by Francisco I. Madero and his followers to end Porfirio Diaz’s dictatorship, and the rise of Zapata and Villa. The second part, The Legacy looks at world influences on the revolution and the positive changes (art, culture) that resulted from it.
At the time of filming The Storm that Swept Mexico, several veterans were interviewed; each over 100 years old. Also contributing are historians, economists, politicians, journalists, and scholars in the fields of literature, political science, women’s studies, and art history, as well as Zapata’s grandson, Emiliano Zapata.
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