Riding a motorcycle, a bold engineer heads for the unknown, to a small provincial town, at Rosalía’s request. Rosalía is the only teacher in the village and who wants a real school for San Martín de Arriba. This mission will be interrupted by Don César Pedrero, the village chief and husband of beautiful Margarita.

“Pueblito” Intro.

This is the story told by “Pueblito”, a film shot mainly in Tlayecac from 1961 to 1962 by the famous Mexican director Emilio “el indio” Fernández.

A woman shows a blueprint to a man inside a room.

Rosalia shows the blueprint for a school to Guillermo, the engineer.

Pueblito is not only important cinematographically for Tlayecac, but it turns its plot into a reality: To build the first school for Tlayecac. It is also an invaluable audiovisual archive, since it takes us back to the Tlayecac of the 60’s, to a small town with many needs but also full of opportunities and stories to be written.

A man herding goats. A church, a large tree and a building in the background.

Town center of “San Martín de Arriba” (Tlayecac)

Emilio Fernández won Las Perlas del Cantábrico at the San Sebastián Film Festival and reaffirms him as a director concerned with what is happening in the deepest parts of Mexico.

A woman turns around looking back, a street surrounded by greenery behind her.

Margarita, starred by Lilia Prado.

It is said that during the making of the film several inhabitants of Tlayecac participated as extras, at that time children, nowadays probably already in their senior years. For example, in a letter, Adela, daughter of Emilio Fernández, tells him about Juan Broa, from Tlayecac.

Two women at the entrance of a church turning their heads looking at uh man.

The cinematography is exceptional in this film and always achieves very creative framing.

After watching the film it is inevitable to stop for a moment and think how much the town has changed? what has improved and what has gotten worse? how similar is Don César Pedrero’s authority to the present one? is the current Tlayecac the one the Tlayecac’s from the 60’s would expect?

Cast:

Columba Domínguez
Asunción

Mexican actress with a distinguished career during the Golden Age of Mexican cinema.

Lilia Prado
Margarita

Recognized as one of the great actresses of Mexican cinema in the 1950s and 1960s.

Fernando Soler
Don César Pedrero

A key actor and director in the history of Mexican cinema.

  • María Elena Marqués
    Rosalía
  • José Alonso Cano
    Guillermo
  • Alberto Galán
    Don Sotero, priest
  • Gabriel del Río
    Filiberto
  • Emilio Fernández
    Colonel

Movie Poster:

Right: a village in dark tones with the text “Pueblito” and the movie credits. On the right: 5 black and white photos of the main characters.

Reconstruction of the original movie poster.

More about the film:

Length: 83 minutes.
International name: Little Village.
If you like it you can see: “Río escondido”, also by Emilio Fernández.