MADRE MÍA (2026)
25 min
Directed by Mónica G. Carter
Written by Ambika Subra
Cinematography by Miguel Zetina
Produced by Tocaya, Musas Films and The Maestros
Language: Spanish
On the outskirts of Tampico, unemployed loner Miguel (56) struggles to care for his dying mother, La Madre, with whom he shares a toxic, codependent bond. When rumors of an alien sighting sweep through town, Miguel seizes a desperate idea: to stage his bald, frail, and naked mother as the “alien” and sell the photos to pay for her medicine. The stunt spirals out of control, plunging the town into hysteria and Miguel into moral collapse. As La Madre’s condition deteriorates and Miguel’s grip on his secret unravels, he is forced to confront a strange reality.Core Essence:
Madre Mía explores the unreal vs. the real, the fear of the unknown, the hunger for validation, and the unsettling question: If aliens are the “other” that we fear and exploit, are we the real aliens?If you’d like to attend screenings / events for Madre Mia, contact us here for information and invitation.
TAMPICO PLAYERAS:
Madre Mía extends beyond cinema into the streets of Tampico through a series of limited-edition playeras.
Made in collaboration with local artists, the shirts function as portable fragments of the film’s mythology—objects that return the story to its origin and re-activate it in public space.
Sales directly support the community of makers and Tocaya’s off-the-screen initiatives: workshops, artist residencies, and future projects that continue building the Madre Mía world.
CURRENTLY SOLD at Mercado Municipal de Tampico (Mercado nuevo de tampico area de tablitas con Tony), y con Rodolfo en Calle Héroes del Cañonero Tampico 203, Zona Centro.
OFF-THE-SCREEN
Madre Mía was conceived not just as a film, but as an ecosystem. Through the Tocaya Model, the film extends into workshops, local collaborations, and public artifacts that keep the story alive beyond the screen.
In Tampico, Tocaya and Musas Films (Tampico) organized a series of AI generation workshops, where the community learned about the role of AI in cinema and technical usage practices.
In Madre Mía, we used AI as a tool to create a news cycle that circulates throughout the film.
These workshops turned new technology into a form of community mythology—teaching participants to translate their own stories into visual worlds.
Upcoming projects include the first cultural publication of Tampico as a newspaper, more workshops, and participation in Tampico’s Dia de Marciano.
Proceeds from all extensions of the film circulate back to the artists and support Tocaya’s next cycle of workshops and cultural projects, creating a regenerative model where storytelling becomes a shared infrastructure.