This black & white educational film is about the nation of Mexico. This was made in 1939, in collaboration with Wallace W. Atwood, an American geographer and geologist who served as president of Clark University.
Opening titles: Encyclopaedia Britannica Films presents Land of Mexico (:06-:25). Map shows the land of Mexico, directly south of the United States. Palm trees southern Atlantic Coast. Palm trees near a building. Port of Vera Cruz, harbor. Workers in large sombreros load a ship with sugar bags. Mountains, and a train trestle shown in the mountains as the narrator discusses the difficulties of building railroads through the mountainous regions of the country. Large silver mine, possibly outside Guanajuato (:26-2:29). Snow capped peaks of mountains. Mexico City downtown, with trolley cars running past the historic Plaza Santo Domingo. Modern PEMEX gas station (3:15). Botica or drug store “Farmacia Reforma”. A hotel downtown. Modern Mexico home. Mexico City’s famed swap meet or Market Place. Oxen work in a field; most of the nation’s farms are not mechanized. Corn is the main food of Mexico. Harvesting corn (2:30-4:17). People pick corn and pour it into piles. A woman climbs the ladder to access corn stored in a granary, constructed of corn stalks. A man separates wheat. Cactus in Northern Mexico’s Sonora Desert. Living fences of ocotillo cactus are created. Bamboo reeds are used to make baskets. Process of making adobe bricks. A man uses a pick to collect clay (4:18-5:45). Adobe clay is spread out. Clay is made into mortar. Donkeys transport the pieces to the site of construction. Adobe slabs. Men build a traditional adobe house (5:46-7:01). People carry food and other items for sale and trade to local markets. Donkeys also bring pottery on their backs. A group of donkeys headed to market. People are shown shopping and trading goods. Women sell pottery. A woman inspects pottery. A pile of apples. Fruit and vegetables for sale, including chile pepper, apples and corn (7:02-8:44). Pineapples are for sale. Potatoes are weighed. A man sells pigs. Lots of men and women shop in the marketplace. Mexican band plays. People watch. People walk around and shop (8:45-10:26). Mariachis serenade a crowd (10:12). End credits (10:27-10:36).
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