After the screening, Bustamante said the story is real,
told to him by a Mayan woman. A living
volcano was the set. He said, “In
Guatemala, we are trying to push people to see independent movies. Thanks to the people who made this film,
shooting without running water, electricity and money.”
Asked about the movie’s indigenous dialect, as it
is obviously very different from Spanish, Bustamante replied, “First, I love this language. I know it very well. I grew up in a Mayan region in
Guatemala.” Eighty percent of the people spoke this
Mayan dialect.
While he doesn’t want to make Ixcanul “a political
pamphlet” he explained that life is very difficult for these indigenous
people. While Spanish speakers can read
and write, many of these people can’t, and live far away from schools and hospitals. “We want to put light on this,” he
said.
How was working with people without previous acting experience? Bustamente answered, “They are wonderful
people.” He searched for the cast in a fruit market.
The Guatemalan premiere was at the volcano, with a green
carpet of leaves. Women who are opinion
leaders in the community were invited and they were happy with it, he said.
Not surprisingly, it was dangerous to shoot at the
volcano. When the first location volcano
erupted, they moved the production to another one. In Guatemala there is no movie industry,
including insurance.
Bustamente said when Spanish conquistadors arrived the
Mayans didn’t understand their traditions.
If you didn’t follow the Catholic rules, you would go to hell. For Mayans, fire is sacred. And, that the alter ego is the volcano, it’s
a metaphor, Mayan women are looking for a change – an eruption.