by Sandra Beckmeier

Amada Cardenas lives at the intersection of many -- often conflicting -- cultures. Amada of the Gardens is a documentary and an unfolding by Susan Maynard (Alternate Currents Gallery), Bill Daniel (Funhouse Cinema and Golden Arm Trio), Aida Franco (community activist) and Alan Pappe (photographer).

The portrait is a testimony to life, although the project is on hold until funding comes through. Stylisically the project could be thought of as a minimalist and impressionist portrait of Amada Cardenas, known for loving people unconditionally, in the remote area of South Texas. Known for its unknown spiritual subculture, the setting is the small village of Mirando City, Texas, population 100, where Cardenas played a major role in the Native American Church of God for most of the century.

This project will include a compilation of images and reminisces about her life as a legal peyote dealer, along with her husband, in the early 1940s through the 1960s. She is the center where diverse peoples come together in peace, harmony and humility, and is considered to be the mother of all members and non-menbers of the peyote church. It is truth that love is everyone's ally, when it is honest and when it is real. Even her name is derived from the Spanish verb amar, which means to love.

"The unique thing about Amada for me is in this culture where women are as driven by ambition as men, she's known because she's not an achiever." Maynard said.

The project will be constructed carefully and composed of cinematography and footage, with selective subtitles in Spanish and English. The producers have written proposals to the Austin Film Society and the City of Austin to cover initial filming and post-production work. There is no guarantee these funds will be met and there is concern the spiritual content will incite censorship of the project.

In the unpredictable present, slaughter is a tool reinvented time and time again to control. Peyote is not legal in all states. Contact Susan Maynard at Alternate Currents for donations to this project at (512) 443-9674.