Companion of the Setting Sun
In the ecologically threatened waterways of Xochimilco, 87-year-old farmer Doña Susana carries on an ancient legacy. As scientists search for the disappearing axolotl, her wisdom guides a new generation working to preserve and restore this fragile ecosystem.
Companion of the Setting Sun follows multiple generations of women as they combat the ongoing ecological degradation of Lake Xochimilco, an extraordinarily biodiverse lake ecosystem in the Mexico Valley basin. The film’s main protagonist, Doña Susana, is an 87-year-old indigenous chinampera (wetland farmer), whose family has been farming in the region for centuries. Throughout the film, she speaks with family members, local farmers, and a team of biologists as they conduct a census of the axolotl population, a species of salamander endemic to the lake. These remarkable animals hold immense scientific and cultural significance. The film illustrates how the survival of ancestral farming practices is tied to the fate of the endangered axolotl.
It also follows Diana Mendoza, a young conservation scientist, who works with Chinamperos to conserve these critically endangered creatures. Together, they create canal refuges around the farms which provide shelter for the axolotls and improve water quality through biofiltering.
This film invites a shift in perspective towards a recognition of humanity’s inseparability from nature, in which restoration is guided by both tradition and innovation.