Event

Ixcanul

The brilliant debut by Guatemalan filmmaker Jayro Bustamante is a mesmerizing fusion of fact and fable, a dreamlike depiction of the daily lives of Kaqchikel speaking Mayans on a coffee plantation at the base of an active volcano. Immersing us in its characters' customs and beliefs, Ixcanul chronicles with unblinking realism, a disappearing tradition and a disappearing people.

"A fascinating blend of modernity and ritual." -The Guardian

"A powerful and highly accomplished debut deserving recognition. Moreover, with its social realist focus on Guatemalas contemporary Mayan population, it offers a portrait of a largely unseen community refreshingly free of exoticism (the remarkable unprofessional cast helped co-write the script). -Filmmaker Magazine

"Jayro Bustamantes Ixcanul was a genuine discovery, as this is not only the directors first feature, but also the first film made in the Kaqchikel Mayan language..." -Senses of Cinema

"Bustamantes film is downright Herzogian (far more than Herzogs own Queen of the Desert) in its surfeit of physical detail, observed ritual and looming clash of civilizations." -Variety

Guatemala's entry for the Academy Awards, Best Foreign Language Film

Winner Silver Bear, Berlin Film Festival 2015