The Day of the Dead is one of the most important celebrations in Mexico and the village of Arocutín, five hours west of the capital, is recognized throughout the country for the beauty of its pantheon (cemetery) on November 2 and served as inspiration for the movie
Coco
.
It is in this cemetery, in the heart of the state of Michoacán and on the shores of Lake Pátzcuaro, where the violinist Ara Malikian has offered perhaps his most special concert, branded by the organizers as "an offering to all the deceased from covid-19".
The recital is made up
of Mozart's
Requiem
, the traditional melody
La llorona
—probably known internationally by the singer Chavela Vargas— and
Janitzio's Requiem
composition
, named for the island located in Lake Pátzcuaro.
All this while Malikian walks among the cempasúchiles, the orange flowers used by Mexicans in pre-Hispanic times and that today are used to decorate tombs and altars on the Day of the Dead.
The event has been directed by Gabriel Berestáin, filmmaker and director of natural photography from Mexico City, who has worked with figures such as Derek Jarman, Guillermo del Toro, David Mamet and Ken Russell.
In addition, it has 300 extras, residents of the town of Arocutín, who share a sample of Mexican folklore for the rest of the world.