For hundreds of Texas high schoolers, winning a trophy at the mariachi state championship would be a dream come true. After over a year of filmmaking, directors Alejandra Vasquez and Sam Osborn shared one mariachi group’s inspiring bid to make this dream a reality in their film, “Going Varsity in Mariachi.” 

“Going Varsity in Mariachi,” a feature-length documentary shown at the 2023 True/False Film Fest, takes a deep dive into the world of competitive mariachi. Premiering at the Sundance Film Festival in January, the film had its first showing at the Fest on Friday at the Missouri Theatre. 

The film follows Mariachi Oro, a high school mariachi ensemble from Texas’ Rio Grande Valley. Bordering Mexico, the high school resides at the intersection of Mexican and American culture. Mariachi orchestras have a long and storied history in Mexico, and these Texas-based ensembles personify mariachi’s cultural legacy. As the film guides the viewer through Mariachi Oro’s whirlwind competition season, “Going Varsity in Mariachi” becomes both a charming coming-of-age story and a love letter to the art of mariachi. 

Along with the performances the audience hears from high school ensembles on the road to state, the documentary’s score contributes some of its own “remixed” mariachi melodies. This modern, youthful take on traditional Mexican music instantly creates a buzz of excitement as the film gets underway. 

The audience is introduced to several individual members of Mariachi Oro in the documentary’s first act. Isabella Luna leads the way as Mariachi Oro’s captain, while novice guitarrón player Drake Pacheo faces a steep learning curve that adds both humor and tension to many of the early scenes. Girlfriends Marlena Torres and Mariah Guel share their respective stories of music and queer love, and violinist Abby Garcia hopes to branch out from her hometown after high school.

Alongside the diverse group of students in the ensemble, the documentary features Mariachi Oro’s devoted director, Abel Acuña. In a Q&A session following the film, co-director Vasquez said Acuña’s dedication played a huge role in why the filmmakers decided to feature Mariachi Oro over the other high school ensembles.

“Abel’s a huge teddy bear,” Vasquez said. “His philosophy is really like, ‘how do I get these young musicians to take the skills of learning mariachi — the discipline, the family aspects, the hard work — and even if you don’t become a mariachi, what can you learn from your high school experience?” 

Acuña is a source of inspiration and knowledge for the fledgling musicians in the film. His support for the students is steadfast, even as he juggles responsibilities that are typically spread across multiple directors in arts programs with more funding. Indeed, Acuña asks the ensemble to reflect on what mariachi means to them ahead of state, and he encourages members like Abby to pursue their academic ambitions.

“Going Varsity in Mariachi” embodies the nervous anticipation, unbridled joy and overwhelming sentimentality that comes with being a young musician. From the countless rehearsals to the early-morning competition commutes that save on hotel costs, the film’s plot paints a detailed portrait of Mariachi Oro that other ensembles vying for funding can relate to. 

Visually, “Going Varsity in Mariachi” is quite the spectacle. The stunning shot sequence during Mariachi Oro’s performance at state is full of color and flair, and the vignette-style introductions to the Rio Grande Valley’s various mariachi groups make a bold impression on the viewer. The elaborate costumes worn by the mariachi musicians bring even more engaging visual elements to the screen and showcase mariachi in all its opulent glory. 

After “Going Varsity in Mariachi” was first released, some film critics suggested that the feature film would have worked better as a docuseries. Between the students’ personal lives and the logistics of mariachi competitions, the filmmakers had more than enough material to work with. At the Fest, the filmmakers said the final cut of the film was derived from roughly 300 hours of footage.

While a series — or even an extended cut of the documentary — would be an exciting prospect, “Going Varsity in Mariachi” is still an exceptional piece of art in its current form. Admittedly, the film leaves the audience with some unanswered questions about the ins and outs of the mariachi competitions themselves. However, the abundance of heart, humor and raw emotion in the film still conveys the most important aspect of mariachi to the audience: its ability to transform lives.

“Going Varsity in Mariachi” is a delightful taste of the mariachi scene that can be watched again and again. Driven by its heartfelt narrative, Vasquez and Osborn’s film hits all the right notes.  

Edited by Scout Hudson | shudson@themaneater.com 

Copy edited by Mary Philip