This essay film/fake history show/future re-enactment addresses “delirio güero” (White delusion) in Mexico and takes a deep dive into the nitty-gritty of the outlandish acts of 19th century self-appointed discoverer/artist Jean-Friedrich Waldeck, and architect/researcher/photographer Teobert Maler. The colonial imperial undertakings of the monarchs Charlotte of Belgium and Maximilian of Hapsburg as well as the experiences of the swindler Anton “Toni” Mayr — a follower of Maximilian and a distant relative of the güera (White) filmmaker/artist — in Mexico, and the moderator La Güera’s fantastic interpretations of early 21st century Mexico recall the ways in which colonial practices under the influence of delirio güero continue to underwrite dominant ways of knowing, interpreting, feeling, and making/showing art.

Undergirded by archival images and boosted by eating pineapple, La Güera comments the complexities of delirio güero and connects historical interpretations, artistic outpourings, scientific explorations with family chronicles. Meanwhile, a ghost from the future scrutinizes La Güera’s hi/stories and shows how the delirio güero is intertwined with current and future relations of power and processes of struggle.

PHOTOS: Rafael Ortega, Eduardo Thomas

DELIRIO GÜERO I WHITE DELUSION
1825, 2018, 2211 and Back
Essay film future re-enactment (Spanish or German with English subtitles, 50 min., 2211)

Camera: Rafael Ortega
Editing: Eduardo Thomas and Nina Hoechtl
Sound: Emilio Hinojosa and Chris Janka
Props: Unx Pardo and Nabil Yanai Salazar Sánchez