What is Mexico’s fate without the traditional tortilla?

Seven women, seven stories. Maize, my Heart (Corazón de Maíz) begins at dawn in the misty channels of Xochimilco, where filmmaker Cyndi and her mother, Carolina, confront a heartbreaking reality: 60% of these ancient chinampas are in decay, and authentic maize tortillas have become a tourist rarity. This realization sparks a global search to reconcile the invented Mexico of the diaspora with the industrial crisis of the homeland.

The narrative follows a lineage of guardians across the globe. In Quito, Carolina proves that essence cannot be left behind, recreating the nixtamalized tortilla as a form of life. In Jalisco, researcher Maru Toledo uses ash and clay pots to perform culinary archaeology, demonstrating the grueling labor required for a single authentic tortilla. In the Mayan jungle of Valladolid, Doña Irma and Rosi preserve a life where tradition isn't studied, it is lived through the pib (earth oven) and fire. In Querétaro Miriam works tirelessly to provide tortillas, tlacoyos and tamales made with the best ingredients: native corn and food-grade limestone.

The journey expands to Germany, where Karina maintains her traditions through cooking and teaching people around the globe about mexican cuisine, and to Switzerland, where Daniela’s "Masamor" production reveals a bitter irony: in one the world’s most expensive countries, the basic tortilla has become an elite privilege.

As the cycle of corn guiding the work reaches its peak, Cyndi’s role shifts from spectator to participant. Joining her mother’s production, she concludes that every pot of nixtamal is a "silent but effective rebellion". 

These women embody the essence of culinary heritage, nurturing, researching, and passing on maize traditions despite systemic barriers that make it difficult to find a traditional, GMO-free tortilla. 

More about Corazón de Maiz in spanish here: Corazón de Maíz