Category: Guatemala
Approach of Dawn
An informative and sensitive documentary that tells the story of Mayan women activists and their courageous fight for indigenous rights in Guatemala. Featuring several outstanding women that are playing an important role in this struggle, including 1992 Nobel Peace Prize winner Rigoberta Menchú.
Anthropology/Archaeology, Guatemala, Indigenous Peoples, Women's StudiesBajo El Tacaná
Bajo el Tecaná is a short documentary about a group of women migrants, who are interviewed by a group of researchers, before heading to the north. The film takes place in the village of Soconusco, Chiapas on the border between Guatemala and Mexico. Made with the support from Mexican Commission on Human Rights and the OIM ( International Organization for Migration), this film combines text, testimonials and images.
Subject: Border, Migration/Immigration
Brother Towns / Pueblos Hermanos
Brother Towns/Pueblos Hermanos describes the lives of immigrants from Jacaltenango, Guatemala who currently work and reside in Jupiter, Florida. The documentary explores the motives of migration to the United States and the hardships that the Mayan descendants of Jacaltenango face either in Guatemala or in the United States. The documentary also includes the voices of those who have responded to undocumented immigration: those who adamantly oppose it and also the advocates who help migrants acclimate to a new place.”
Subject: Migration/Immigration
CENTRAL AMERICA CLOSE-UP
El Salvador, Guatemala, Social Life and CustomsCivilizadores: Alemanes En Guatemala, Los
German colonizers dominated many coffee estates in Guatemala during the early twentieth century. This documentary takes us through the old coffee baron's plantations, and examines a new generation of entrepreneurs in key posts within the government behind anonymous company names. Maya peoples continue to contest the concentration of land, and military and police abuse.
Guatemala, History, Social IssuesCracking the Maya Code
This documentary tells the story of how, after centuries of inaccessibility, the Mayan hieroglyphics were finally decoded by archaeologists. Through many discoveries by people of all ages, including Michael Coe and David Stuart, the Mayan Civilization is brought to life during this fascinating account of how the Mayan "code" was cracked, and the ways in which this newly available script has reshaped our understanding of Mayan civilization.
Colonial, Guatemala, History, Indigenous Peoples, MexicoGuatemala Por Dentro
Part I-Documents religious paintings in the Merced Iglesia, a colonial church in Antigua. Part II-Documents retablos in the Merced Iglesia. Part III-Documents the rich history of the church of Santo Domingo and the feast of the patron in San Martín Obispo and San Martín Chile Verde.
Art, Guatemala, History, ReligionGuatemala: The Dream Of The Land
This television documentary provides a brief history of land distribution efforts in Guatemala and follows a threatened priest leading a landless campesino movement. The program shows the dream of some landless families come true, as they obtain land for the first time through three land distribution programs.
Guatemala, HistoryMoon – woman’s Sisters, The: Highland Guatemala Weavings
Several Maya women in the Highland community of Comalapa share their insights into the art of weaving and its place and importance in their lives. Directed by Julia Kellman and Phil Miller and filmed on location in Guatemala and Honduras. Produced by Conejo Productions.
Art, Guatemala, Honduras, Indigenous PeoplesMusic Of The Maya
Produced by Samuel Franco, director of the Casa K'OJM, a private non-profit educational research center in Antigua, Guatemala dedicated to the preservation of Maya culture through music this video shows us live footage of music during daily life and special ceremonies throughout Guatemala, particularly in the Highlands. Narrated by Samuel Franco.
Culture/Festivals/Food, Guatemala, Indigenous Peoples, Music/Dance, Social Life and CustomsNo Nos Tientes
This film, narrated by Edward James Olmos, presents a forceful analysis of the possibilities for radical change through Guatemalan student protest. Shot in urban ghettos, rural villages and jungle encampments, this documentary reveals the immediate and personal struggle of a cross-section of the country's population during the forty years of civil war. Recommended for undergraduates and high school students.
Guatemala, Politics/Human Rights, Social Issues, Social Movements/ResistanceSilencio De Neto, El (The Silence Of Neto)
he first Guatemalan feature film. Neto is the eleven year old son of a Guatemalan official in the mid-fifties, during a period of turmoil when the elected government was threatened by a U.S. backed invasion. While political unrest forms a tense background, Neto - with only a child's understanding of the adult world - tries to enjoy his youth anyway. He naturally gravitiates toward his flamboyant, irresponsible uncle more than his plodding, earnest father.
Guatemala