"This is the story of a street girl that happened not too long ago." "And the gratitude that motivates us to tell it may be its only real merit." "We chose, among thousands of old and new stories the shortest one and the simplest." "The one that could bring to our exhausting days a brief moment of peace and tenderness." "Anselmo!" "Anselmo!" "Anselmo!" "Anselmo!" "Look what I found!" "Anselmo!" "Ay!" "Let's go, Marimbas!" "Marita, where are you?" "Come to me!" "Here I am!" "Marita, where are you hiding?" "Come to me!" "Here I am!" "Behave, little girl or I will tell on you and your sweet grandma will get mad." "Where are you?" "I'm not here." "Where are you?" "Here I am." "Where are you?" "I'm not here." "Where are you?" "Here I am." "Ram him!" "Ram him!" "Come on!" "Don't be afraid, get him!" "Come on, Chirrias!" "Come on, Chirrias!" "Ram him!" "Ram him!" "Do it now!" "Do it now!" "Ay!" "Marita!" "Ouch!" "Ouch!" "Ouch!" "Anselmo, it hurts!" "It rammed me!" "It's o.k." "There, there... all better." "You're all better." "Oh!" "Marita look." "Marita look, look!" "Hey, beautiful!" "THE SMILE OF THE VIRGIN." "THIS FILM WAS MADE IN THE ACTUAL LOCATIONS WHERE THE MIRACULOUS APPARITIONS TOOK PLACE." "FROM:" "OUR LADY OF GUADALUPE." "AND THE AYATE WHERE THE IMAGE APPEARS IS THE REAL ONE." "Marita!" "Marita!" "Are you deaf?" "I'm here, grandma!" "Good Lord!" "Look at you!" "What have you been doing?" ".." "...you little devil!" "Well, I should...!" "Ouch!" "Grandma, it hurts where the ram..." "...hit me." "Where?" "Here, on my stomach!" "Let me see." "That's not your stomach, silly." "But I'll spank you right there if you misbehave." "What were you doing around the animals?" "I went to play "bullfighter" con with "Trompo" and "Chirrias"." "Chi..." "Chi... who?" ""Chirrias."" "That's some name!" "I'm so mad at Anselmo..." "...for not looking after you." "Dont scold him, grandma." "He's very good to me and I love him very much." "I love you too, grandma." "Well, this was the last time." "Starting tomorrow, you're going to school nice and clean." "I am, grandma?" "Yes, and because I want you to look pretty, I bought you a new dress and new shoes." "Let me see them, grandma!" "No, no, no." "First, go wash up..." "Your hands look like a coalminer's." "And then, you'll have dinner." "Go on now!" "How's my girl!" "So beautiful." "Anselmo, I'm going to school tomorrow!" "That's great!" "You'll learn so many things." "What's learning for?" "Well..." "To know all sorts of things, like they say." "Of course, they also say that nobody really knows anything." "Poor Magdalena." "Her eyes look so sad." "What's wrong with her?" "Well nothing, really." "She's just tired." "And, why is she so fat?" "Well..." "Darn!" "You see, it's just that she ate too much." "Marita!" "See you tomorrow, Rita." "Have a good night." "Oh, darn!" "How could I tell her that you're having a little one?" "Mother, give me your love." "Look at that!" "Your hands are all dirty!" "Let's see..." "Is school nice?" "Yes, dear, very nice." "It's a beautiful place, full of light, laughter and.." "...little boys and girls who will be your friends." "You'll be happier there than you've ever been." "Let's go to school now, grandma!" "No... it's late now." "Now it's time to pray." "Thank you, God, for our daily bread." "Take care of daddy and mommy who are with you in heaven." "And take care of grandma." "I love her very much." "Take care of Anselmo, and all my animals." "Make Magdalena stop eating so much." "And please, God, make the sun come up early so that I can go to school." "Done." "Good night, grandma." "Good night, dear." "I'll baptize you." "What should I call you?" "Panchito!" "No, I don't like that name." "I'll call you Tolochito." "Do you like it?" "Good night, Tolochito, sleep tight." "Is this school, grandma?" "Yes, dear." "Good morning." "Good morning." "Is this Marita?" "Yes." "This is my granddaughter." "You're a doll!" "What's your name?" "Marita." "My name is Marita, and my grandma's is Maria." "Everyone calls her Doña María." "What's your name?" "María, just like your grandma." "Are you my teacher?" "Kids... get in line." "Come on, everybody!" "Ms." "Pilar." "Yes, ma'am." "This is Ms. Pilar, your teacher." "Come join the other kids." "Do I have to stay, grandma?" "Yes, dear." "Here, this is your lunch." "Anselmo will pick you up later." "Come, get in line." "Good morning." "Come on, kids!" "Make a line." "Single file." "What are you doing there?" "Come on, go to class!" "Grandma!" "Grandma!" "Grandma, don't leave me!" "Don't leave me!" "You're happy, Rita?" "You gave enough for yourself and Magdalena." "The kids will drink lots of milk." "There's enough for them." "And for you." "Cholita, wants two liters of milk." "There's no more." "How about this one?" "It's for delivery." "It doesn't matter you can milk Rita again later." "Rita has already given hers, and Magdalena can't." "They want to go out to pasture." "Shut up and do what I say." "Thank you, Doña Mariquita." "You see, Rita?" "The more you give, the more they ask for." "But it feels good to give what one has." "What are you muttering?" "Don't be rude, answer me." "You get mad at me, and then expect me to talk to you." "Of course I get mad at you!" "Instead of helping me make a few pennies you scare away the customers." "Quiet, quiet." "Don't forget that today's the first day of school." "I hope you all behave very well." "What happened, young lady?" "Why are you so late?" "I'm late?" "Go sit over there." "That's the 'tardy student' spot." "Young lady?" "Aren't you tired of looking out the window?" "What are you looking at?" "Birds." "Wait." "Look if you like birds so much here are some nice ones." "Color them." "I don't like drawings." "Then..." "...what do you want to do?" "I want to go home." "You wll, as soon as this class is over." "In the meantime..." "look, we're building pyramids." "All your classmates are doing it, look." "What's wrong?" "Why are you crying?" "Hey, no fighting!" "Sit down, young lady." "And you, finish those cutouts." "Come on!" "Cow!" "Cow!" "Cow." "Anselmo" "I'm going back to the pastures." "Why do you spend so much time there, Anselmo?" "Because I've gotta feed the cows." "And I like to look at the clouds." "Sometimes, I hear a little song in the air." "Or see a nice color, and I put it in my paintings." "You're never going to do anything else?" "What else can I do?" "Come on you can't spend the rest of your life in a barn." "Wouldn't you like to go somewhere else?" "Where?" "Every place is under heaven, even this one." "But I pay you very little." "Wouldn't you like to make more money?" "Come on, ma'am." "Money's for the rich." "There's one thing I would like." "Write a song for the Virgin so I can tell her everything I feel here inside." "A song?" "Is that all you want?" "Isn't there a young lady you'd like to marry someday?" "I saw a girl once, out there in the mountains.." "...she was way out there then she came closer..." "...but she didn't see me." "Don't worry, Anselmo." "Someday..." "Why would I worry?" "My old man used to say..." ""You just worry about sowing, God will do the rest"." "So, I write my little songs, do my little paintings and wait to see what God does next." "Stop." "I'll end up being envious of you." "You're a sweet man, Anselmo." "That's why I love you like a son." "Go on go to the mountain, look at the clouds." "Cow!" "Keep it." "Where are you going, children?" "To my house." "Aha!" "What!" "Take your seats." "I'm very pleased because you've behaved very well on the first day of school." "Silence!" "You're driving me crazy, silence!" "See you tomorrow, Marita." "I'm not coming tomorrow." "It's time to go, kids." "Marita!" "Anselmo!" "Come here!" "You didn't like school, did you?" "Let's go, Marimbas." "Stay there with him!" "Marita you really didn't like school?" "No." "Why?" "Because the teacher yells a lot." "And she keeps us inside all day." "You know something, Marita?" "I didn't like school either." "But now I regret it, because I didn't learn nothin'." "So..." "Good heavens!" "Mother!" "Symbol of goodness." "Watch over me and take me to my heavenly home." "With the angel of the Virgin Mary the grandure we must celebrate." "Carrying her with joy so we can pray." "Oh, Virgin Mary mother of mine symbol of goodness." "Watch over me take me to my heavenly home." "Watch over me and take me to my heavenly home." "Sorry, Father." "Excuse us." "Oto, Chirrias!" "We're going to the orchard, to the orchard we will go we will pick up some parsley, and see our friend Milano." "Milano isn't here, he's in his garden caring for his roses, and carnations." "Marita the one at the back, go see if he's going to make it, otherwise we have to run." "Amo a to..." "matarili-liri-lon." "What do you want?" "matarili-liri-lon." "I want a page." "matarili-liri-lon." "Pick one." "matarili-liri-lon." "I pick Chirrias." "matarili-liri-lon." "What job should he do?" "matarili-liri-lon." "He should be a bullfighter." "matarili-liri-lon." "At midnight we'll eat at midnight we'll sit!" "We're going to the orchard, to the orchard we will go." "We'll pick up some parsley, and see our friend Milano." "Milano isn't here, he is in his garden caring for his roses, and for his carnations." "Are we leaving, grandma?" "As soon as I'm finished." "Again with those animals." "The teacher punished you because you took them to school." "Do you want it to happen again?" "Do you want me to throw them out?" "Don't, grandma!" "Do you want to see my bug?" "No!" "What an awful thing!" "Get those things out of here!" "It's time to go to mass." "Marita, come here!" "Marita, come here." "Look, the chicks are being born." "They're cute, aren't they?" "It's hard for them to break the shell." "Did I break my shell when I was born?" "Do you have to ask so many questions?" "I'll go find my veil, tell Anselmo to hurry up." "Anselmo!" "Anselmo!" "What is it, Marita?" "Don't let the chick die!" "What did you do, Marita?" "What did you do?" "I tried to help him get out of the shell." "Marita." "It's not your fault." "Your intentions were good." "Dad, why did we come to ask the Virgin for a job?" "Little birdie, put your little hat on Pepito.." "..." "like that, very good." "Help me, for the love of God." "He who gives to me, gives to God." "Help me, for the love of God." "He who gives to me gives to God." "Help me, for the love of God." "He who gives to me gives to God." "Help me for the love of God..." "We're here!" "We're here, Chabela!" "Virgin of America!" "Virgin of Mexico!" "Depictions of miracles granted to accident victims, to the lost to the sick with deadly diseases." "Buy some, gentlemen." "Buy some, they don't cost much." "I wanted the one of the guy attacked by a cow." "I don't have one of those, but look." "In this one there's a snake bite." "I want a cow, not a snake." "It doesn't matter, they're all miracles." "Yeah, it's better than nothing." "Of course!" "The gentleman is right, man." "He's right." "He was attacked by a cow." "Look, this one has cows in it." "That's right." "Is it for sale?" "We want it." "No, I don't sell my paintings." "We wanna buy it." "That we do." "I paint with humility and devotion." "But, if you want to make a donation for the Madonna then..." "...you can take it." "Thank you, sir." "Here you go, sir." "That alright?" "Good afternoon." "Wait!" "This is too much." "Thank you very much." "You gave him too much, idiot!" "Sorry." "Depictions of miracles!" "Thanks, Marita!" "Thank you very much." "Wake up, dear." "It's time to go to school." "Don't take too long." "I'll make breakfast." "I don't want to go to school." "I don't want to!" "I don't want to!" "I don't wan to!" "Anselmo, help me!" "I don't want to go to school." "Marita!" "Marita!" "Where did she go?" "Marita!" "Now where is she?" "Ah!" "All covered up, and with your butt sticking out." "Come here." "Yesterday, she hid in the henhouse and today here." "It's the same everyday." "I'm going to lose my patience, and spank you." "Grandma I don't want to go to school." "Well, you have to go." "And that's that." "I'll get my things, grandma." "What is wrong with that child?" "...Is she possessed or something?" "She just doesn't like school." "She's country folk, like us." "But every child must go to school right, Rita?" "Marita!" "Coming, grandma!" "What are you doing with that box?" "I told you you can't take those things to school." "It's my lunch, grandma." "Oh, alright." "Let's go." "Grandma, I have to help Anselmo..." "...with the math." "He can't do it." "That's just an excuse." "There's a girl who doesn't go to school, she stays..." "...at home with her mom." "How do you know?" "She told me." "And if she doesn't go to school, how could she tell you?" "You're right." "What else have you got?" "A frog that sings very nice." "And a lizard, as thin as the teacher." "I didn't want it, so I threw it out." "Show me what's in the box." "We're not showing you." "If you don't I'll tell on you." "Girls!" "Children...!" "...quiet!" "Take your seats!" "Everybody, sit down." "Sit down!" "Sit down!" "I don't love you!" "Well I don't love you either, you spoiled girl!" "I'll tell your grandma about this." "Now you have to stay here." "Against the wall until I say you can move." "Children, please take your seats..." "Let us help you, father." "There's no need, my dear." "I'm going to get these lazy legs of mine to work." "Let's begin like in the fairytales..." "There was once a little native boy, very honest and good, whose name was Juan Diego." "A long time ago on a cold winter morning, very early Juan Diego was coming from his town to Mexico City to attend mass." "Since it was so cold he had his poncho on." "So Juan Diego was running up this hill when suddenly, he heard a voice that said:" ""Juan Diego the smallest the poorest my most beloved child"." "Juan Diego stopped, fascinated by that voice." "It was soft and sweet and filled the air with a beautiful scent." "Juan Diego became afraid, but she said:" ""I'm the Virgin Mary, and I want to live here where you live where your people live"." ""Go see the Bishop, and tell him that it is my wish that all of you build me a church at the foot of this hill"." "When the temple opened, the next day there he was, half asleep, wrapped in his poncho." "He was taken to the Bishop and Juan Diego told him that he had seen the Virgin and that she wanted a temple at the bottom of the hill but the Bishop didn't believe him.." "Jesus Christ!" "Juan left, feeling very sad went up the hill and told the Virgin:" ""They didn't believe me, they say it's all lies"." ""That I didn't hear anything, that you didn't speak to me. "" ""This is true, isn't it?"" "They want proof." "So the Virgin took pity on him and told him:" ""You will bring them proof." "fill your poncho with roses and they'll believe you"." "Juan Diego was surprised." "He said:" ""Roses!" "But Mother, there aren't any roses here"." ""Where can I get them?"" "The Virgin smiled lovingly and said:" ""There is a garden near here, behind some big rocks. "" ""It's full of roses. "" "The boy obeyed her, and looked behind the rocks." "He was astonished." "There was a garden which the Virgin had created in a moment." "And there were roses everywhere." "He filled his poncho with red and white roses, and came down, looked for the Bishop, opened it up and told him: "Look Bishop, the Virgin sends you roses"." "And when the roses fell to the floor, they all saw that the Virgin's image had been imprinted on the poncho and they all fell to their knees in awe of the miracle." "Our Lady of Guadalupe had chosen her people." "Is the story over, Father?" "So soon?" "No, dear." "The story has just begun." "One day, the saintly Virgin of Guadalupe will unite in love all the peoples of America." "Which means, in simple terms..." ""That the saintly Virgin never bestowed a greater honor on any other nation"." "He said that the Virgin appeared to him, that he went to the Bishop and told him everything." "Yeah." "But the Bishop didn't believe him." "What a dope!" "The Virgin spoke to me too." "You're the only one I've told." "You believe me, right?" "Yes, Marita." "Yes." "You know Magdalena hasn't given any milk." "And we really need it." "Don't worry, Anselmo." "Magdalena will give lots of milk." "How can you be so sure?" "Because the Virgin is my friend." "Didn't I tell you?" "Today, I'll ask her for Magdalena to give lots of milk." "And for something else." "Come on, we're going to church." "Cow!" "Marita Marita." "Marita, where are you?" "Come to me." "Here I am." "Marita, where are you hiding?" "Come here." "Here I am." "Little girl, don't misbehave or I'll tell on you." "And your dear grandma will get mad." "Where are you?" "Here I am." "Where are you?" "Here I am." "Where are you?" "Here I am." "Where are you?" "Here I am." "I want to ask you for two miracles." "I don't want to have to go to school, I don't like it." "And I want Magdalena to get better and give milk." "How about you, Anselmo?" "What will you ask for?" "Me?" "Well..." "I can't ask for anything." "I already have everything." "Thank you, Mother." "Can you make the miracles come true by tomorrow?" "Yeah?" "Thanks." "I'm not going to school." "I'm not going to school." "Grandma, grandma!" "I'm not going to school." "I'm not going to school." "I'm not going to school, grandma." "I'm not going to school, Anselmo." "I'm not going to school, Anselmo." "Anselmo, Anselmo." "You know, I didn't go to school today." "Right." "Where did that milk come from?" "Magdalena gave it." "I told you, the Virgin is my friend." "She granted me my miracles, Anselmo." "I didn't go to school, either." "Magdalena, my beautiful cow." "So beautiful." "You're happy too, aren't you?" "Thank you, Mother, for letting me stay home." "Come on, Anselmo!" "Come on!" "I'm telling you, kneel down!" "Come on, Anselmo!" "Thank you." "Magdalena is better, and she gave milk." "Thanks." "What are you doing?" "We're thanking the Virgin for the miracles." "Where did that milk come from?" "Oh, it's the one you bought this morning." "Did you buy it, Anselmo?" "I didn't go to school today, I didn't go today, grandma." "I didn't go." "You didn't go, dear, because there's no school on Saturdays." "So you bought that milk to deceive the child?" "No, ma'am." "I bought it 'cause we needed it." "You're an insufferable child, always with your animals." "You'll see!" "I'll take you to the principal's office." "And you too!" "They killed my turtle, my Tolochito." "It's not true that I didn't go to school because it was Saturday." "It's not true that Magdalena gave milk because Anselmo bought it." "It's not his fault?" "Why didn't you grant me my miracles?" "You don't love me anymore, do you?" "Then I shouldn't come to see you anymore?" "Should I run away from home?" "Go, Marimbas!" "Let's go!" "Let's go, Marimbas!" "Marita!" "Marita!" "Saintly Virgin of Guadalupe!" "Let me find my granddaughter!" "Let Anselmo find her." "Hail Mary, full of Grace..." "God be with You." "Blessed be, amongst all women and blessed be the fruit of your loins, Jesus Christ." "Marita!" "Marita!" "Marita!" "Anselmo, grandma!" "Grandma." "Anselmo!" "Anselmo!" "Anselmo!" "Anselmo!" "Thank you!" "Thank you, saintly Virgin for giving me back my granddaughter." "Why did you come back?" "Because it was dark and I was scared, and very hungry." "But I'm not afraid anymore, and I've eaten." "Are you leaving again?" "Nobody loves me anymore." "I love you." "And your grandma loves you more." "Yesterday, the poor woman was going crazy looking for you everywhere and if you leave again she'll die of sorrow." "Is that what yo want, Marita?" "This is all because the Virgin didn't listen to you, right?" "Do you know why she didn't grant you those miracles?" "Because you're too small, and... she didn't hear you." "You need to get closer to her, so..." "So she can hear you." "Really, Anselmo?" "Really, Marita." "Next time, Anselmo I'll get real close, so she can hear me." "What are you waiting for?" "Why are you in such a hurry, Marita?" "Let's go deliver the milk, and then we'll visit the Madonna." "Let's go!" "What are you waiting for now?" "Let's go, Marimbas." "Hurry, Anselmo, hurry." "We're going to get real close to the Virgin." "Put on your coat and hat so you look nice for the Virgin." "Anselmo, is the Virgin really going to listen to me today?" "I told you she would." "Forgive me, Mother, for what I told her listen to her she's just a little girl." "Don't let her lose her her faith because of me." "Let her grow up believing in you." "What are you doing, little girl?" "I'm going to talk to the Virgin." "You can't get up on the altar." "Go on, go on." "Go on!" "Little girll!" "Where are you going, child?" "I'm going to speak to the Virgin." "Women can't go in there." "I'm not a woman, I'm a girl." "Well, a girl is a young woman." "But I have to talk with the Virgin!" "You can do it from one of the benches." "But Anselmo says that she can't hear me from there." "Because I'm too small." "Well, tell Anselmo that he's wrong, that the Virgin isn't deaf and she hears us all very well big or small, and that it isn't necessary to come that close." "But I want to get closer." "You're really stubborn!" "Look, I have a lot to do, go back in the church and tell her whatever you want." "She'll listen to you." "Go on." "Where are you going, dear?" "I'm going to speak with the Virgin." "Speak with the Madonna!" "What are you going to tell her?" "Is it that important?" "Do you want us to pray together?" "Can I help you?" "I'm going to tell her that I don't want to go to school because I don't like it." "There are many things we don't like, but we must do." "But she's my friend." "She spoke to me the other day." "You believe me, don't you?" "Yes, dear." "God tells us to believe." "And the world is full of miracles, that nobody knows about." "Look!" "Our Lord came to this world to teach us to be good and love each other." "And instead of obeying him, we made him a crown of thorns and put him on the cross." "Don't his hands and feet move you?" "He's always there, suffering because of us." "Why don't you let him down?" "Because his pain defends Man and his mother the saintly Virgin who cries when see sees him like that." "Why doesn't she let him down?" "If you're good and obedient you can take him down." "Poor man." "I have one just like him, but smaller, at home." "They are all him." "You can't stay here, little one." "Go pray to the Virgin and promise her that you'll worship her son and that you will be good, so he doesn't suffer." "Alright?" "What happened, Marita?" "They didn't let me get close." "Well, let's go then." "But I have to speak with the Virgin." "We're closing up." "Anselmo I'm going to hide, so that..." "Please, sir." "The church is closing." "What are you doing there?" "I'm going to confession." "Without a priest?" "And on this side?" "Go home!" "Go on, go on!" "I was waiting for yo!" "This time you did hear me!" "I always hear those who come close to me." "But they didn't let me, so I had to hide." "You saw, didn't you?" "I was very scared." "I came to ask you for some miracles but they told me that you cry a lot, for your son." "Is it true?" "Yes, Marita." "That's too bad!" "You can free my son from the cross by being good and going to school." "I love him very much too, Mother so I'll be a good little girl." "Go back home." "And love my son, as much as he loves mankind." "I'm leaving." "I'm not afraid anymore." "Good Lord, Anselmo!" "Where were you at this hour?" "What's wrong, Marita?" "Nothing, grandma." "What's wrong with this child, Anselmo?" "Nothin'" "Marita!" "Magdalena gave birth." "Let's go!" "You see, Marita?" "Aren't you happy, dear?" "Look, what a nice calf Magdalena got." "Don't you like it?" "Yes, grandma." "Aren't you happy because the Virgin granted you..." "...the miracle you asked for?" "I'm very happy, grandma." "What's wrong, then?" "Are you sick?" "You're scaring me." "What's the matter?" "Nothing, grandma!" "If it's about school, you don't have to go tomorrow if you don't want to." "No, grandma." "I promised the Virgin to be obedient so I have to go to school." "Where are you going?" "To my room, grandma." "Mother, come to me." "Mother, give me your love." "My beloved Virgin of Guadalupe I am at your feet." "Mother, take this flower that I offer you." "I am at your feet." "My Virgin of Guadalupe I am at your feet." "I brought it so you can see he's no longer nailed..." "...and you can stop crying." "Thank you, Marita." "Thank you very much." "I'm leaving, because it's time to go to school." "Goodbye, Mother."