El Salon Mexico and Un Duelo – Shorts to Watch!
One of the perks of this job is watching great films. Two animated, non-narrative films in the KIDS FIRST! line up are El Salon Mexico, which is about the culture of fiestas in Mexico and Un Duelo, from Garage Post in Mexico City.
EL SALON MEXICO
Running Time:13 minutes
KIDS FIRST!® 
Juror Recommended Age: 8-12
Two talented people, Paul Glickman and Tamarind King collaborated to create a short animated film based on Aaron Copeland’s musical composition, El Salon Mexico. Tamarind and Paul met in 2002 when a mutual friend suggested to the then thirteen year old Albuquerque resident with an interest in animation that she might find a mentor in Paul, a retired film maker up in Santa Fe.
El Salon Mexico is an animated fantasy, set in Mexico in the 1800’s and woven into the musical composition by Aaron Copland. It is the story of a very young campesiño who, along with his burro and rooster, sneaks out of the house one night to see a fiesta for the very first time. The animation is wonderful and enhances the lovely store. The characters are quite fanciful as is the action. If Diego Rivera had made animation, this is what it would look like. Absolutely fun and lovely. A must for your film festival.
UN DUELO (A DUEL)
Running Time: 3 minutes
KIDS FIRST!® Juror Recommended Age: 5-12
You know those crazy humming birds that just do not share well with each other? Well, in this animated, non-narrative short, two hummingbirds engage in a senseless but sometimes funny battle. There is a moral to the story, but actually it is just fun!
Un Duelo comes from Garage Post in Mexico City and we hope to have more from them.
