Our feature documentary explores the question:

How can you continue living in a place where your ancestors were brutally killed?

It’s a portrayal of a resilient Maya community in Rio Negro, a village in the Guatemalan highlands. During the civil war in the 80s almost the entire community was brutally killed in several massacres, wiped out to make space for a water dam, which was built by the government on the land that belongs to the community.

The few survivors returned years after and fight everyday to safeguard their memories and culture against global economic forces and climate change. Until today they haven’t received justice or attention.

Directors Note

When I visited Rio Negro the first time, I was 17 years old. I shot my first short film in Rio Negro. The desire to make a feature lenght film about their history has been growing in me for a long time. After years of communication with the community, we feel ready to take on this important project.

Our main protagonist

Our main protagonist is 65 year old Julian Sanchez Chen, he is the chronicler of the village and has been collecting the community's stories and testimonies for years. He is also one of the few and oldest survivors.

Fidelia Sanchez Chen, is a guardian of traditional knowledge. She appears shy when she speaks in Spanish, since her own language is Maya Achí. Fidelia remembers and preserves the customs taught by her ancestors.

We are shaped by our lived experiences, our personal background and a multitude of memories. Remembering is a process that is constantly changing as we access our memories and repeat narratives. And yet, our memories are a part of us and we therefore carry within us a constant flux of the past. Through our memories we live in several times simultaneously, which can make the present, our here and now, feel somewhat fragmentary. This feeling is particularly strong in Rio Negro, where the past strongly lingers and is visible everywhere. Here, people live in constant connection with their past. This connection is nurtured and open, wherein words are spoken without fear and echos of past voices reverberate.

Sebastian Iboy was still a teenager when he lost his family in the massacre. He was one of the first to return to Rio Negro. He has been a focal and politically active member of the community.

For example, the children tell of hearing a soft whistle in the small cemetery, or of a white rabbit that keeps appearing to them and is interpreted by them as a sign of the dead. There will be many moments through their lived culture of memory, their rituals, and spiritual encounters to visually and auditorily capture the feeling of „being in between.“

The community is keen on supporting our film, seeing it as a testament of their story. Our film enables the community to publicly reflect on their past, and to preserve the customs and rituals passed down from their Mayan ancestors. An endeavour, which is needed now more than ever in local communities all over the globe. Our film is a story of grief and hope. It shows the devastating impact government-led wars have on generations of people. And yet, something powerful happens when people come together to reflect on their individual and public wounds. They unite in their grief, and in their strength are able to pave the way for hope. Hope for a better future.