Details
Once a common sight at Easter in Mexico, displays of los judas-or large devil figures made of paper-have, like so many other folk customs across Latin America, become increasingly rare. In an attempt to save the ritual from extinction, the city of San Luis Potosi sponsors a yearly competition prompting the creation of a small army of the paper grotesques. This program follows three folk artists as they guide their judas from birth to a fate ordained by centuries of tradition-a cathartic inferno symbolizing the destruction of evil. As with much folk art, the artists come from diverse walks of life and their interpretations of los judas take on many forms, ranging from the simple to the fantastic. (Spanish, 46 minutes)
