Ixcanul

First Guatemalan film I've seen. I enjoyed the beginning, slice-of-life part of the film more than the later story-centric part. The story was problematic in many ways. The language barrier showed how difficult non-integrated life would be, but left too many questions. I preferred seeing Maria in her native environment. Also, if the titular volcano was supposed to have a symbolic role, I feel like the director drastically underemphasised it. Events petered out without much drama or journey.

I wish there were more movies immersing you in a society like this.

I think that this movie marks the passage of a society from archaic modes of living to a more modern one. Because in tribal communities virginity was taken even as an evil aspect of the sexuality and was taken by witch doctors or some special people who were considered to have contact with the evil side of existence, but once the society is opened to modern city, even the virginity is transformed into a commodity and everything functions according to logic of market equilibrium.

Filmekimi - Feriye.

Learned that 17 year old Guatemalan girls first lose their virginity to trees before they get the taste of human wood. Ixcanul (2015) has a extremely straight forward narrative that for some reason still felt choppy. Gives the movie a weird and real atmosphere. Curious and searching creating. Appreciate it, but didn't fall totally in love with it.