Testimonials

Ana Terrazas (Costume Designer), Carlos Y. Jacques and Eugenio Caballero (Art Directors) share an excerpt from their creative process:

"We began with extensive, in-depth research into what was happening in Mexico during the period when the novel takes place, particularly the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, the pre- and post-Revolutionary eras. Working alongside Rodrigo, we explored how different social classes dressed, lived, and conducted themselves during that time, gradually defining how we wanted to portray them. We sought to follow Rulfo's descriptions closely, adhering to the style and customs of the period, especially in how clothing and accessories were manufactured, in finding or creating props for the homes, and in depicting the luxury of the landowners' lives in stark contrast to the poverty of the townspeople.

"We were fortunate to collaborate with remarkable artisans from several Mexican states who, for the costume department, wove fabrics, shawls, and overcoats on backstrap and pedal looms. From some of these fabrics we made blouses, skirts, pants, shirts… Garments that were mostly hand-sewn or hand-dyed, with traditional stitching, embroidery, or embellishments. Many of these techniques are barely practiced anymore or are on the verge of disappearing. As for the art department, the rugs that appear in the film also come from pedal looms, particularly from Oaxaca and Tlaxcala.

"Since all our research sources contained only black-and-white photographs, drawings, and depictions, we created a color palette for each character, atmosphere, and space that—as the film progresses and tragedy looms—ages, deteriorates, and darkens.

"Our goal was to tell this story through a seamless dialogue, hand in hand, you might say, between costume design and production and the creation of Comala's various spaces: an inn, a church and its sacristy, two haciendas in San Luis Potosí, a town square where the torito fireworks explode, a street where dust swirls around wandering souls. We also wanted to weave costume and art together with the greatest possible precision in terms of tones, textures, and furnishings, ensuring that each character and space displayed details that aligned subtly and intimately with the narrative. Our work sought to faithfully interpret the era and the reality of the place where the story unfolds, helping to accentuate, in every shot, the emotional atmosphere of the characters and their surroundings. Both departments are crucial for the actors; they help them to fully inhabit the roles they play.

"Each thread, each texture, each suit, hat, and accessory, each piece of furniture, rug, or candelabra narrates and accompanies—caresses, so to speak—the tortured relationships between the characters, and the transformation of Comala from the prosperity that once reigned there to the vestiges of its devastation, brought about by fate, the thirst for power, and despair.

“Join us in exploring this exhibition, predominantly of garments, that dresses and embraces a story that strikes us from the very beginning with the son Juan Preciado's words to José Abundio, his biological half-brother, also unacknowledged by the landowner: ‘I came to Comala because they told me my father lived here, a man named Pedro Páramo.’”