As a viewer, the documentary's informative intention is fulfilled most fully by research conducted beyond the scope of the camera lens. If I had never written this article, for example, the reason for all the violence inherent in the subject matter would remain as enigmatic as the documentary itself. On the other hand, it is possible that by contextualizing the pieces of the story in the absence of an interconnecting puzzle, the documentary forces the viewer to think for themselves. If Nettie Wild's interests were more in raising awareness than providing objective information, this documentary successfully fulfills its purpose. His travelogues force me to expand my perspective and develop my own opinions on the topic within the full scope of available information. In this sense, the film tests the resilience of good human nature. The modern world is becoming increasingly extreme, as the lifestyle of the poor contrasts greatly with that of the rich. The implementation of NAFTA reflects this movement toward separation, despite the fact that it was intended to increase trade between the regions and create greater prosperity on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border. Mexican elites saw him as their salvation. Others saw it as “a death sentence”. The Chiapas region itself also exemplifies this divide. The region was divided between the relatively prosperous, fertile, commercially developed west and the poor, subsistence-oriented east. It was no coincidence that the Zapatista movement was born in Chiapas as the struggle between ranchers, landowners, and subsistence farmers was intensified by NAFTA. The thinning of the middle class associated with this tremendous dualism leaves us with further discourse...... middle of paper ...the military group and the Zapatistas are at bay, and the true power of the media becomes as blatantly clear as the conflict they can arouse. In front of the cameras, the "Peace and Justice" party accuses the Zapatistas of violence. Offscreen, they threaten to kill Mexican members of the film crew. Works Cited A Place Called Chiapas. (n.d.). Internationale Filmtage der Menschenrechte -. Retrieved April 30, 2014, from http://www.filmfestival-der-menschenrechte.de/fitame-old/archiv/filmdetail319e.html?Nr=21&lang=en&year=01A Place Called Chiapas. (1998, January 1). . Retrieved April 30, 2014, from http://www.zeitgeistfilms.com/films/placecallchiapas/presskit.pdfWild, N. (Director). (1998). A Place Called Chiapas Canada: National Film Board of Canada.Burns, E. B., & Charlip, J. A. (2007). Latin America: An Interpretive History (8th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall.