| An international documentary film production company | | | | make-ups, Danone yoghurt, hot dogs and cookies. |
| was drawn to the central valleys of the State of | | | | Manuel, the engineer / manager of the museum and |
| Oaxaca while investigating regions of the world where | | | | educational facility known as Tlapanochestli, explains |
| sustainable living still plays a major role in the way | | | | the historical importance of the cochineal industry while |
| people live. After a preliminary visit to the state capital | | | | going through the lifecycle of the insect and production |
| to scope out the feasibility of story lines, its production | | | | technique currently employed. Experimentation into the |
| team ultimately shot two, five-segment episodes in the | | | | use of other natural dyes and fibers continues at the |
| heart of Oaxaca. | | | | research station. |
| The mandate of The Veria Network's cable TV series | | | | Episode Two |
| Under the Sun is to capture a broad diversity of | | | | LeRoy heads out to the rug weaving village of |
| locales, organizations and individuals involved in healthy, | | | | Teotitlán del Valle, where sheep have been |
| harmonious, holistic, and environmentally friendly living | | | | sheered, and their wool spun, dyed and woven into |
| and business enterprises. Each episode features British | | | | rugs in basically the same manner, since the mid - |
| born Nathan LeRoy, a self-proclaimed adventurer, | | | | 1500s. He watches a villager sheer a sheep using |
| investigating how age-old means of production persist | | | | nothing but a simple scissors and rope to tie it down; |
| into the 21st century, and examining sustainable | | | | then takes a fascinating tour with Mariano Sosa, the |
| systems and products. This is done with a | | | | head of a sixteen family co-op, to witness all the |
| not-so-subtle underscore: maintaining and promoting | | | | subsequent steps such as washing the wool without |
| unity with the natural world provides humankind the | | | | detergents, then drying and spinning it into yarn, |
| best opportunity to survive and thrive for generations | | | | followed by using plants from an experimental site to |
| to come. | | | | create natural dyes - with the process' |
| Episode One | | | | uncontaminated water returning to the earth; and finally |
| LeRoy accompanies internationally acclaimed native | | | | weaving the most intricate of both traditional Zapotec |
| Oaxacan chef Pilar Cabrera Arroyo (Bon Appetit, The | | | | and more innovative designs into tapestries and rugs. |
| New York Times, Toronto Iron Chef judge & | | | | For the next segment our host remains in the rug |
| competitor) to Oaxaca's Pochote Organic Market. An | | | | village, awakening well before sunrise to accompany |
| interesting discussion ensues as to the certification | | | | Rocio and Malena of the extended family known as |
| process in respect to organic products. LeRoy | | | | Casa Santiago to a mill to have corn ground into masa |
| propounds that forcing growers to leap through hoops | | | | - in preparation for a lesson back at their homestead. |
| in attempting to obtain certification is actually | | | | Together with Gloria, the matriarch of the family, they |
| inconsistent with supporting small- scale local | | | | prepare amarillo, the mole used in making a very |
| production. He then accompanies Chef Pilar to her | | | | special and typical festive dish unique to their town, |
| Casa de los Sabores (House of Flavors) Cooking | | | | tamales de amarillo con pollo. Breakfast includes hot |
| School for a lesson in preparing three dishes - an | | | | chocolate also made from scratch, enjoyed in the |
| organic salad with a honey mustard garlic dressing; | | | | traditional fashion - with a small loaf of pan de yema or |
| world famous mole negro, the most labor intensive of | | | | egg bread, for dipping. The quaintness and welcoming |
| the many moles, traditionally made with approximately | | | | nature of each and every family member is both |
| 35 ingredients; and a delightfully fresh and uniquely | | | | striking and memorable. |
| flavorful organic rose petal sorbet. | | | | Leroy then travels back in time to 16th century Toledo, |
| Our adventurer then meets up with a family of San | | | | Spain. The ancient and well-chronicled Old World |
| Martín Tilcajete wood carvers and painters, | | | | knife-making technique is still practiced in the town of |
| headed by Jacobo Ángeles and María | | | | Ocotlán, by Apolinar Águilar. The |
| Mendoza. His goal is to learn about the town's | | | | master craftsman fashions knives, machetes, swords |
| longstanding Zapotec woodcarving tradition. While | | | | and much more, using only recycled materials. He |
| trekking through the countryside he and Jacobo | | | | demonstrates the use of his wood and skin bellows, |
| discuss the properties and uses of the copal tree from | | | | stone and mud hearth, and a series of hammers, |
| which most figures - known as alebrijes - are carved. | | | | chisels, and other forging tools he himself makes to his |
| Leroy then explores the use of natural pigments for | | | | exacting specifications. His products range from letter |
| coloring the pieces; María deftly uses her hands | | | | openers, to hunting and butchers' knives, to turkey |
| as palettes as she variously mixes tree sap and bark, | | | | carving and cutlery sets, to martial arts weapons, and |
| honey, pomegranate, corn fungus, berries and other | | | | custom collector pieces. Even the fine finishes of the |
| natural substances to create a veritable rainbow of | | | | blades and handles are creating naturally, without the |
| paint colors. | | | | use of chrome or nickel, varnish or lacquer. |
| Next he receives a lesson from a triumvirate of | | | | Our adventurer next arrives in Santiago |
| absolutely charming apron-clad abuelitas (little | | | | Matatlán, the self-anointed world capital of |
| grandmothers) on how to make three refreshing | | | | mezcal (also referred to as mescal), for a visit with |
| drinks, each of which is typical to the region and | | | | Enrique Jiménez, a spirits producer with a |
| commonly found in both urban and rural Oaxacan | | | | pedigree dating to his ancestors' 1870 arrival in the tiny |
| markets: agua de Jamaica (juice or water of hibiscus | | | | village. Enrique walks LeRoy through all stages of |
| flower), agua de limón (a natural limeade made | | | | production of mezcal from the harvesting of agave in |
| with the outer peel), and the uniquely indigenous | | | | the fields, to baking it in a pit over flaming logs and river |
| pre-Hispanic drink, tejate. Making tejate is a true art, | | | | rocks, then mashing it with the use of a horse dragging |
| and highly ritualistic. If a step in the process goes awry, | | | | a multi-ton stone, to fermenting in pine vats, and finally |
| the end result simply won't cut it. Being the Drink of the | | | | distilling in a brick and mortar firewood-fueled oven. |
| Gods in pre-Hispanic times, process must be perfect. | | | | The sampling of the finished product includes a |
| Leroy then gets out into the fields just after dawn one | | | | two-year-old añejo aged in oak barrels, a much |
| morning, with a woman whose family has been making | | | | younger mezcal, and of course one "with the worm." |
| the naturally fermented drink known as pulque, for | | | | LeRoy concludes his visit to the State of Oaxaca with |
| generations. Pulque is perhaps the single least | | | | a much needed relaxing and rejuvenating temazcal |
| understood drink in Mexico, at times mistakenly noted | | | | and massage. He arrives at the home of Doña |
| as the first stage in the production of mezcal and | | | | Emilia, a retired nurse of Zapotec heritage. After |
| tequila. The plant, one of several pulquero varieties of | | | | decades of tutelage from her grandmother she has |
| agave or maguey, must mature in the field for 15 - 18 | | | | become an expert in the ancient art and science of |
| years before it yields aguamiel or honey water. At | | | | temazcal. One of the hallmarks of temazcal is the |
| sunrise and sunset the liquid is religiously harvested | | | | environment in which the ritual is enacted - an adobe |
| from a deep well in the center of the plant. Natural | | | | hut with water and lava rocks used to create and |
| fermentation of the aguamiel occurs over the course | | | | control steam. It's akin to a sweat lodge where |
| of just a few hours. Be it myth or science-based, the | | | | chanting together with aromatic and curative herbs |
| indigenous guide counsels as to pulque's curative and | | | | and branches cleanse the body and soul. |
| life-prolonging properties. | | | | Watching the two episodes of Under the Sun gives |
| In the final segment of the episode LeRoy learns about | | | | the viewer a glimpse into some of the present-day |
| cochineal ( cochinilla ), the minute insect which feeds | | | | manifestations of sustainable living in the central valleys |
| off of the nopal cactus. Cochineal has been | | | | of Oaxaca - and can just as easily be a precursor to |
| commercially cultivated, harvested and exported since | | | | the experiences of those contemplating a visit to the |
| early colonial times because of its unique property - it | | | | city. Virtually every individual and institution highlighted is |
| yields a strong, natural red dye which to this day is | | | | accessible by tourists within the context of a couple of |
| used in the production of such diverse products as | | | | well-planned tours to the towns and villages |
| Campari, Knorr and Campbell soups, lipsticks and | | | | surrounding the state capital. |