TIFF: Guatemalan Oscar Entry 'Ixcanul' Evokes a Lost Ethnographic Film, and Beautifully

One of my favorite world cinema entries of the Toronto International Film Festival so far is Jayro Bustamante's first feature "Ixcanul," a quiet hit in Berlin and Telluride that Kino Lorber scooped up ahead of its Canadian premiere here. The film draws us slowly into the remote lives of a community of Mayan peasants nestled on the fringes of an active volcano in Guatemala. Bristling against this nomadic existence is 17-year-old Maria (María Mercedes Coroy), who yearns for the life of the city, is tired of boys and hopes for independence. But it's not until she becomes pregnant, unexpectedly, and is thrust into an arranged marriage, that her world gets to open...

[[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]] Sponcer page Sponcer page