Enchanting Stories of New Mexico - New Mexico's First Film

The Fresh Chile Company Podcast

It was at this time in 1898 that the very first film shot in New Mexico was released. This was epic film was done by Thomas A. Edison and his company and it was shot in the New Mexico Territory, since New Mexico wasn’t a state yet.

Now if you decide to make some popcorn and sprinkle some good Chile seasoning on it and then make some Hot Chocolate and settle down to watch this film, I must warn you about this film. It doesn’t have much plot since it was 28 seconds long and was shot in October 1897 at the Isleta Indian School. So, to watch it doesn’t take more than a couple of kernels of popcorn and a sip of Hot Chocolate and you are looking for some other film.

This first film in New Mexico ever was filmed from a single camera position and using only one camera. Of course, it was filmed in black and white since color was forty years away. Now this film opens and closes on the doorway of a school building that has a sign proclaiming it to be the Isleta Indian School.

What you see is a small number of Native American children and their teacher leave school down a couple of stairs and, in a plot-twist, they all walk right back in. Could have been a fire drill since this was a silent film and you don’t see any smoke. They were the first New Mexico film stars, and we don’t have their names. From the pictures we see that the children were ten years of age or less.

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