Introduction

Bless Me, Ultima is a 2013 film directed by Carl Franklin.

It is an adaptation of the 1972 novel of the same name by Rudolfo Anaya.

Outline

A drama set in New Mexico during World War II, centered on the relationship between a young man and an elderly medicine woman who helps him contend with the battle between good and evil that rages in his village.

Film Inspiration

Published in 1972, Bless Me, Ultima is a coming-of-age novel by Rudolfo Anaya centring on Antonio Márez y Luna and his mentorship under his curandera and protector, Ultima. It has become the most widely read and critically acclaimed novel in the Chicano literary canon since its first publication in 1972.

Teachers across disciplines in middle schools, high schools and universities have adopted it as a way to implement multicultural literature in their classes. The novel reflects Hispano culture of the 1940s in rural New Mexico.

Anaya’s use of Spanish, mystical depiction of the New Mexican landscape, use of cultural motifs such as La Llorona, and recounting of curandera folkways such as the gathering of medicinal herbs, gives readers a sense of the influence of indigenous cultural ways that are both authentic and distinct from the mainstream.

Production & Filming Details

• Director: Carl Franklin.
• Producers: Jesse Beaton, Sarah DiLeo, and Mark Johnson.
• Writer: Carl Franklin (screenplay).
• Music: Mark Kilian.
• Cinematography: Paula Huidobro.
• Editor: Alan Heim.
• Production: Gran Via Productions, Monarch Pictures, Monkey Hill Films, and Tenaja Productions.
• Distributor: Arenas Entertainment.
• Release Date: 17 September 2012 (Plaza Theatre, Texas) and 22 February 2013 (US).
• Running Time: 106 minutes.
• Country: US.
• Language: English.

YouTube Link