Chicharras

Yuli (38) is the Topila (auxiliary police) of San Pablo Begu', a mountain community in Oaxaca where the inhabitants assume the responsibilities of self-government on a rotating basis on an honorary basis (Comunalidad) at the same time as they carry out their work and personal activities. At the entrance to the town, they hold back a group of machinery that is trying to move into the community to begin construction of a four-lane highway. No one in authority is aware of this and the community is on alert. San Pablo Begú will have to decide whether or not to accept the road project.

Directed by Luna Marán, Chicharras leans on a strong ensemble — Alejandro Morales, Edmundo García Hernández, Ernesto Martínez López — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about screen titles of 2024.