Telluride at Dartmouth: Ixcanul
An astonishing look at life in modern rural Guatemala through the eyes of a strong-willed young woman.
At the base of an active volcano, in a region long inhabited by Mayan people, Maria’s family prepares for her marriage. The teenage girl, however, has other ideas. With one drunken encounter, she alters her fate and that of her family. Jayro Bustamante’s masterful debut feature begins as an intensely lovely immersion into contemporary rural Guatemalan culture. Having grown up in the region, Bustamante is a remarkable tour guide, revealing lifeways of the local people. But as the story takes several dramatic turns, Bustamante reveals that he has ambitions far beyond either the coming-of-age film or the typical tradition-vs.-modernity tale. By its startling finale, Ixcanul has taken on an operatic energy reminiscent of early Werner Herzog, and injected a dose of political fury. A deserving winner at multiple festivals including Berlin, Ixcanul is one of the truly essential films in recent years. (Guatemala, subtitled, 2015, 91m) Courtesy of Kino Lorber
