Santa Clara screened the final film of its Sunset Cinema series on Oct. 30, paying homage to Día de los Muertos.
The city’s showing of Pixar’s “Coco” marks the fifth film in its screening series, which started in May. Santa Clara played these movies throughout the summer and across its parks. This time, hundreds of attendees gathered at the Mission City Memorial Park (MCMP) — a Santa Clara cemetery that dates back to the early 1850s.
Moviegoers picnicked on a lawn, located in the cemetery’s rear, that does not have any graves. The city also set up an ofrenda for guests to add mementos of their deceased loved ones. The ofrenda is located in front of the cemetery’s indoor mausoleum and will remain there through Nov. 6.
“In Mexico, we celebrate Día de los Muertos at the cemetery,” said Lorena Romero, a librarian for the Santa Clara City Library. “That is the focal point of the celebration and where we go to celebrate our loved ones.”
This screening marks the second time the library partnered with MCMP, which Santa Clara’s parks and recreation department manages. Santa Clara’s cemetery operations lead, Lupe Fuentes, said he got the idea from attending a national conference for parks and recreation.
Fuentes and Romero partnered to educate guests about Día de los Muertos. Before the film began, Romero read aloud a bilingual counting book about the holiday. She explained throughout the reading the significance of items like marigolds to Día de los Muertos.
Día de los Muertos is deeply rooted in Aztec rituals. The Aztecs believed the marigold flower’s bright color and scent guided the souls of deceased relatives to their family homes.
“People don’t really do these types of events at cemeteries around here. We want to be as respectful as possible,” Fuentes said. “That’s why it’s a good thing to add that educational component.”
Fuentes said he wants the cemetery to further engage with the public as a community space. Currently, community members come to the park during the morning to run and bike; parents also teach their kids to drive at MCMP. Fuentes envisions MCMP hosting events similar to Cypress Lawn Memorial Park, which held a beer tasting trolley tour this summer.
Last year, MCMP hosted its first wedding. The wedding and Sunset Cinema are the first steps toward holding future events on cemetery grounds. Fuentes hopes to invite more people there once the city repairs some of its roads. The city anticipates its council members to vote on that project before the end of the year.
“People come here to mourn, Fuentes said, “but we should also come here to celebrate the folks who have passed before us.”