On P.O.V., Uncovering a Family Legacy

In El General, airing tonight on P.O.V. (check local listings), filmmaker Natalia Almada tells the story of her great-grandfather, former Mexican President Plutarco Elías Calles.

The famous revolutionary general, who assumed the Mexican presidency in 1924, comes to life through audio recordings inherited by the filmmaker.

Known as the foremost chief in his time, Calles is remembered today as a dictator, who ruled through puppet presidents until his exile in 1936.

Almada stitches together recordings of her grandmother, as she grapples with history’s harsh portrait of her father and the weight of his legacy on the country today.