Alonso lives in the Highlands of Chenalho, deep in the heart of Chiapas, Mexico. As a Mayan lay preacher, he plays a leading role in his village torn by the conflict that has violently split his community. Since 1994, the Zapatista National Liberation Army, a guerrilla army comprised predominantly of indigenous Mayan Indians, has been involved in a tense military standoff with the Mexican government. The Zapatistas are demanding equal distribution of wealth, land and power for the indigenous population. Although a cease-fire declared by the Mexican government remains in effect, reports of Government supported paramilitary units terrorizing the Mayan peasants have intensified an already fragile situation. Focusing on the impact the Zapatista movement and paramilitary violence have had on the day-to-day lives of the Mayan peasants, rather than on the political machinations or glorification of the Zapatistas, Alonso’s Dream depicts a far more harrowing and complicated reality.

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