Orozco The Embalmer (2001)

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Review:

Nameless, disfigured bodies, hollow faces, glistening entrails. Streets ravaged by violence, and innocent residents that are subjected to the daily horrors.

One's natural reaction would be to dissassociate themselves from the fact that these cadavers are very real, not some monstrosity conjured up in a special effects workshop. Most people do not want to consider the finality of death, and the reality that our bodies can be so easily battered and destroyed.

Orozco works in the most dangerous part of Columbia (El Cartucho), the film is a document to his everyday routine. Some of the corpses Orozco embalms for a mere 50 USD.

Prepare yourselves for quivering offal, soupy caverns of water logged organs, and limbs stiffened by rigor.

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In Conclusion :

Although the subject matter is quite gruesome, the way that the documentary was filmed still pays respect to the dead. Another impactful aspect of the documentary is the extreme culture shock, seeing the differences between cultures.

Hispanics are so comfortable with the dead, and still see their loved ones passing as a time for celebration. Which is something that I find quite admirable.
In the States we find ourselves so bereaved with grief, and most are still unable to detach themselves from the deceased's earthly shell. Not to say that one way to grieve is better then the other. It's just a fascinating thing to see how different cultures honor their dead.

The German pressing of the film (is limited to 1000 copies), I suggest seeking this bad boy out.
You won't be disapointed!

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Screen Captures: (All Screen Caps are taken by me, please do not use without my permission.)