Guatemala’s Jayro Bustamante Takes Up Indigenous Rights Once More with ‘Mountains of Fire’ (EXCLUSIVE)

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At the International Film Festival of Panama (IFF Panama), Guatemalan filmmaker Jayro Bustamante will showcase his newest movie “Rita” and lead a masterclass. In an exclusive interview with EbMaster, he shared details about his forthcoming projects, including “Mountains of Fire” (“Cordillera de Fuego”), which is now finished in post-production, and his debut comedy, the adaptation of the 1998 Spanish romantic comedy “Nada en la nevera,” roughly translated to “Nothing in the Fridge.

Film director Bustamante, who has had his work showcased in the Oscars’ Best International Feature category three times (“Ixcanul”, “Temblores“, and “La Llorona”), is recognized for leveraging the medium of film to tackle sensitive subjects such as Indigenous rights, systemic oppression, and LGBTQ+ rights.

Initially, “Mountains of Fire” was conceived as a social awareness initiative, but Bustamante later determined that it would have greater influence as a full-length movie. As a child, he resided in a Mayan community situated by Guatemala’s Lake Atitlán, where the project originated.

In the action-drama script written by Bustamante, titled “Untitled,” Maria Mercedes Coroy and Tatiana Palomo portray two dedicated volcanologists who venture into indigenous villages to alert and evacuate the inhabitants from the ominous fire mountain range where a new volcano is emerging. As they carry out their mission, they gradually expose the systemic corruption within the country’s government and unveil the unfortunate truth that these ethnic communities are often overlooked by those in power.

Bustamante remembers the last instance when a Guatemalan volcano erupted was in 2019, resulting in three indigenous communities being buried under lava. He emphasized that while it may be considered a natural event, the loss of human life makes it a social tragedy. “These people had already been relocated to these perilous regions,” he explained, “so we’re dealing with a situation involving ethnic, racial, and social injustice.

In 2012, Bustamante established his traveling acting academy, Academia Ixcanul, to groom his students. This educational institution, which he founded, has already nurtured over 1,500 acting talents in Guatemala.

He mentioned that during the four-month preparation phase, we engaged both the Cakchiquel and Tzutujil indigenous groups, providing acting tutorials to all family members, including kids, parents, and grandparents.

As a film enthusiast, I was fortunate enough to receive hands-on training in the art of stunt acting, considering the numerous action sequences in the movie. Additionally, I was schooled in various crew skills to ensure a smooth production process.

This drama is being brought to life by his production company, La Casa de Producción, in collaboration with Les Film du Volcán based in Paris and his Ixcanul Foundation. He takes great pride in stating that this production is entirely Guatemalan, devoid of any foreign funding. His aim is to demonstrate the ability of Guatemala to create 100% domestic films without any external support whatsoever. Previously, his films have seen an incremental increase in Guatemalan involvement, with “Rita” being 90% Guatemalan, and now we have “Mountains of Fire.

According to Bustamante, due to the significance of the content, he plans to bypass the option for a festival screening or traditional theater release and instead focus on distributing it through a streaming platform directly.

Considering that only 9% of Guatemala’s population can visit a cinema and most prefer watching audiovisual content on their phones, he stated: “It might not be perfect, but if the phone is what helps people engage with thought-provoking content, then I’m willing to put aside my personal filmmaker pride.

As a passionate cinephile, I’m currently penning my first comedy that I aim to direct. I’m shifting the scene from the Spanish romcom “Nada en la nevera” to a captivating Latin American backdrop, with Mexico being the most likely location. The esteemed Puerto Rico-based producer-distributor, Cynthia Wiesner of Wiesner Distribution (“El Cuartito”), is spearheading this project, serving as the leading producer for the film.

The romantic comedy at its core follows Carlota, a 27-year-old ambulance driver in Madrid, who is deeply smitten with the idea of finding her ideal partner. In her eyes, love is the most significant aspect of life, and her mounting unease propels her to search for that special someone with great urgency. While on a typical workday, she comes across a man suffering from food poisoning, and in an instant, she feels convinced he’s her soulmate.

He found it intriguing that despite human advancement, we haven’t significantly improved our understanding of emotional bonds and building authentic relationships. Instead, we remain fixated on the concept of romantic love and ownership,” he pondered.

Bustamante expressed an interest in delving into the increasing importance of self-love. He posed a question about how one can nurture self-love without it hindering relationships with others. Rather than concentrating on our connections with ourselves and others, he suggested establishing novel frameworks – these aren’t polyamorous relationships, but rather a blend of self-love, autonomy, and an underlying desire to find someone who can aid us in comprehending ourselves more fully.

He explained, “What drew me to the project was its comical aspect, and I must say, it has a great tone. Fundamentally, it’s a comedy. I firmly believe that humor is a stunning way to approach profound subjects. To be frank, I don’t have a solution for crafting a flawless relationship. So, my best advice is to find some humor in our attempts.

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2025-04-05 15:47