Friday, June 15 marked the first public screening of “Phil Weigand, an Explorer for All Times” at Hospicio Cabañas in Guadalajara. The historical documentary was created by the team of Pascual Aldana, Daniel Aldana and Alberto Fuentes of Explora México under the auspices of El Colegio de Michoacán and TV UNAM. The film focuses on the life and discoveries of the late archaeologist Phil Weigand (1937-2011) who, together with his wife Acelia García, spent more than forty years unraveling some of the mysteries of a great and hitherto unknown civilization which flourished in western Mexico 2000 years ago.
I went to the premier showing of the film assuming I already knew quite a bit about the subject, having counted Phil as a friend for many years and having had a great interest in the ruins of Teuchitlán ever since I climbed to the top of the Guachimontones back in 1986, when they were covered with nettles and thorns and surrounded by cornfields.
Well, I was quite wrong. In the very spirit of the great archaeologist himself, the filmmakers have unearthed fascinating details about the man and his work which kept me and the rest of the audience on the edge of our seats throughout the 61-minute video and resulted in a great cheer at the end.
The opening lines of the film are dramatic: “Even though by the 20th century the geography of our planet was well known, there were still intrepid explorers and men of science who traveled through distant, rugged lands to contribute research that has deepened our understanding of mankind and complex societies. One of those grand researchers was Phil Weigand …”
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