An Otto Klassen production about Canadian Mennonites colonizing in Mexico.
This documentary explains the history of the Mennonites who immigrated from Canada to Mexico in the years 1922-26. This focuses specifically on the various types of work involved to establish a successful community in a vastly different land than they had previously been accustomed to. Main topics include: transportation, mechanization, farming and harvesting crops, adaptation to an unfamiliar climate and more.
Pioneers in the Chaco Pt. 1 & 2: (2009) (Pt1: 27 min. Pt2: 21 min.)
Through admiration and empathy for the pioneers of the Chaco Boreal, this film was produced by Otto Klassen as result of personal experience in South America. Klassen’s filming took place in Paraguay, followed by compilation and editing in Canada.
Part one looks at the Chaco’s seclusion and refuge for Mennonites, and the process of seeking suitability of the region, immigration recommendation, and forging paths that lead others without homes.
Part two looks at the heirs of the first generation’s success, as they navigate through ways of working as pioneers such as experimentation with soil and climate. This includes information on the cattle business and the competition between young men and cowboys.