| Abstract |
"An intimate portrait of a modern indigenous Maya city and its people, traditions and ritual. Filmed over the course of eight years in the highlands of Guatemala. ... We wanted to see what tradition meant in a modern Maya city. What survives in the face of social, religious and political pressures? Some say that Santiago Atitlán is the largest purely indigenous town in the Americas, and with a population of over fifty thousand speaking the Maya language of Tz'utujil it well may be. This is a look at the nearest existing equivalent to an ancient Maya city; a community driven by commerce, politics and religious ritual just as all cities have been throughout history. It's hard to think of another ancient civilisation which has so much resonance with a contemporary society where people feel such a direct connection with their ancestors. ... The town changed, tradition continued."--IMDb summary by Andrew Weeks. |
| General note | Based on the work of Allen Christenson. |
| General note | "In memory of the citizens of Santiago Atitlán who died in the disaster of the 5th of October, 2005"--End credits. |
| General note | Special features: disc 1. director's commentary (featuring Weeks and Christenson), photo slideshow and official movie trailer ; disc 2 includes 15 short documentary films containing extra materials about the people of Santiago Atitlán, such as sacred places, dancing, and sculpture. |
| Credits | Andrew Weeks, director ; executive producers, Allen Christenson, Joel Skidmore ; associate producer and editor, Matthew Schramer ; sound, Wayne Bell ; translations by Rebeca Chiyal, Cameron Krummel, Juan Reanda Pacach ; Spanish version, Malcolm Miguel Botto. |
| Technical details | DVD. |
| Language | In Tz'utujil and Spanish with English or Spanish voice over with optional subtitles in English or Spanish. |
| UPC |
880959003112 |
