"Miracle Makers" is a 52 minutes documentary film about the tradition of exvotos in Mexico.

The exvotos are little tin paintings that recall miraculous events that occurred when a person prayed to the Virgin or to his patron saint asking for divine intervention. If the intercession occurred then the recipient of the miraculous intervention has a painting made which illustrates the story. Behind each painting there is a story, which comes through this singular form of popular artistic expression. "Miracle Makers" arose as an idea to open a window into the Mexicans religiosity.

The backbone of the project is the painter Alfredo Vilchis, a resident of Mexico City and one of the few exvoto artists who makes a living from these paintings. Vilchis, also known as "Leonardo Davilchis" has dedicated his life to creating exvotos with a unique religious, artistic and journalistic sensibility, and in doing so, becoming a chronicler of the world, which surrounds him. He has become a reporter of the "miracles," a pictorial raconteur of our times, whose clients (those who commission the exvotos) represent a microcosm of Mexican society.

Through Alfredo Vilchis' clients, the documentary shows the process of creating an exvoto, from the incident when the "miracle" occurred, through the commission of the painting and its realization up to the placement in a sanctuary. A man without a leg, a survivor of the 1985 earthquake in Mexico City, a famous bullfighter, and a pair of suicidal ex-alcoholics will open us a door to Mexican believes to show faith runs it all sometimes.

The documentary includes interviews with historians, religious art specialists and church figures.

Through the character’s pilgrimages to local sanctuaries in the States of Mexico, Jalisco, San Luis Potosi, Zacatecas and Guanajuato we have a chance to visit the most important areas of the country to find personal stories that richly illustrate the questions.

The candombe is a phenomenon with an amazing power in Uruguay. Especially for the new generations. Black roots have replaced European roots in the search for this country’s identity, the rhythms and customs of the black African slaves have taken over Uruguay’s folk-cultural panorama.

The documentary centers on two main characters, and is structured around how we follow their journeys. Through the characters, we’ll get to know the place, the people and the candombe and they will help us understand what the candombe means in Uruguay, how this phenomenon is experienced there and its importance for its inhabitants. It is also a journey of personal affirmation. The journey of an individual in search of his roots.

This documentary wants to show us the meaning of CANDOMBE and above all, what we can learn with this marvelous example of vital, cultural and national affirmation and from those who live around the strength of CANDOMBE drums.