Ixcanul (2015)
Part of the ScreenPeace Film Festival 2017
Directed by Jayro Bustamante
María, a 17-year-old Kaqchikel Maya, lives with her parents on a coffee plantation at the foot of an active volcano. María is promised in marriage to the farm’s foreman, but she longs to run away to the United States with the coffee-harvester. When this man leaves her behind, María discovers her own world and culture anew. Director Jayro Bustamante grew up in the region of the Kaqchikel Maya in Guatemala and returned there to make his film. He held workshops, asked people to tell stories from their own lives and examined the current living conditions of the Maya at close range. In doing so, he learned about the special connection the women there have with the rituals of their mothers and grandmothers. The plot picks up the rhythm of a life defined by ancestral beliefs and traditions. An unfamiliar daily routine awaits the audience, far from the globalized world. Ixcanul is not a film about indigenous culture, but one that was developed from within it.
All films are FREE but ticketed. Tickets available NOW from the DeBartolo Performing Arts Center. Order online or call the Ticket Office at 574-631-2800.
The ScreenPeace Film Festival is presented in partnership with the DeBartolo Performing Arts Center, University of Notre Dame.