Faces Of The Modern Maya

feature documentary film

(currently in development + Fundraising)

Synopsis

Short:

Exploring the ways a diverse group of individuals living in the Yucatan Peninsula incorporates their Maya identities and culture into their day to day modern life. We witness how these individuals work to safeguard what is most cherished to them and their communities, including their distinct way of life, language and the very land they live on, all in the face of threatening loss.

Main:

When my husband and I first came to the Yucatan Peninsula, the abundance of Maya archeological history and civilization displayed prominently in most touristic areas, captivated us. Yet millions of Maya descendants still remain in this area, making more surprising the discovery of a major disconnect between the portrayal of the Maya for Mexican tourism versus the reality of the Maya in 2021.

Set in the jungles, villages and the bigger city of Merida in the Yucatan Peninsula, we follow the stories of the lives of five diversely different main Maya characters and their secondary Maya family and friends.

Potential Main Characters:

“Kami” (Jesus Sanchez)

  • A 20-year-old Mayan and Mexican non-binary female presenting person grew up in the small town of Tekik de Regil with a hacienda outside of Merida. She is currently living in the larger city of Merida.

Cecilia Cahum  

  • She is a very bright, warm and beautiful young biologist in her 20’s. She currently lives in Playa del Carmen but often visits her family in their traditional rural home in “Laguna Chabela” near Nuevo Durango. Passionate about conservation, biology, spider monkeys and preservation of her culture and language.

The Tiho Rappers

  • Henry, Misael, and Oscar are the rappers in the town of Tihosuco. They are 3 very friendly and enthusiastic students at the university, 19-21 years old, who study and make music. They are committed to preserving their culture and language as well as raising awareness through their raps, art and the national media coverage they are getting.

Enrique Wilcab 

  • Aka the “Mayor of Nuevo Durango” – a small Maya community where the people focus on working the land. They don’t have a big cenote or attractions like spider monkeys for the tourists. But they have an organic garden and the cabanas which are run by Enrique and his family.

“Ocho” Octavio Yah  

  • Leader of the Temazcal (a prehispanic, Maya sweat house ceremony). Half Maya and Mexican (Meztizo), he grew up in Mexico City. But he came back to the Maya village of Tres Reyes in rural inland Quintana Roo to get closer to his Maya roots. Very well learned in Maya cosmology, religion and spirituality, awakening, nature and the “important things in life.” He runs a retreat house and temazcal.

Potential character arcs in this film revolve around how each of our main characters overcome the many obstacles that are in their way of achieving the goals they each have. Although all of our characters differ in their life’s purpose and careers, each share a common theme of working toward preserving the culture, language, way of life, knowledge, and the very land they dwell on for future Maya generations. Will they be successful in achieving these high-stakes missions?

Video Sample

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The reason that I feel called to create this documentary film, is to show the world why it is so important to never forget your roots.

– Cassie goodluck-johnson

More About This Film

Topic Summary

We believe our documentary project’s original content and stories told by our protagonist over a substantial period of time holds great meaning in today’s world and will have a great impact in a social and communal sphere for many years and generations to come. 

The reason that this film is so relevant and timely stretches back to an Indigenous cultural crisis and subsequent revolution that has been well underway since the 1960’s and 1970’s across North America. We saw it in the United States with the American Indian Religious Freedom Act which shockingly was not passed into law until 1978. The Dakota Access Pipeline protests that began in  Standing Rock Reservation in the Dakotas, USA in 2016 mirrors many of the contemporary land disputes and the rapid growth of aggressive, capitalistic tourism in places such as Quintana Roo, Mexico and the Riviera Maya. Most heavily impacting the small Maya indigenous communities who are constantly being pushed out, and exploited for low wage service work, it is also endangering the animals, water and forests in those areas.  These issues of socio-economic-environmental importance along with the prevailing issue of preservation of one’s indigneous way of life, the very fabric of their identity, all tied to the land, is something I believe that will continue well into the future for all indigenous (and marginalized) communities across the Americas until significant, positive, just actions are made. This film seeks to uncover these issues as well as illuminate the local heroes in these communities who have risen up to engage in preserving their cultures, protect their communities and empower others for generations to come.

Our film will be a powerful tool, able to reach across borders and oceans, creating awareness about the continuing existence of the modern Maya, and their amazing stories, contributing to an authentic and accurate representation of these Maya communities, and the world at large. Our greatest hope is that this film, including the filmmaking process, will bring a greater sense of courage, agency, representation, respect, and future positive action to the Maya subjects we follow as well as to their communities. 

My Connection To The Story

As the director, the reason that I feel called to create this documentary film, is to show the world why it is so important to never forget your roots. I am half indigenous (from the Navajo Nation) and I have personally struggled to learn and hold on to my own roots.

It is a history so complex and never-ending, in which indigenous people across all the Americas, have often been threatened to the very core of their identity. They have been coerced to forget where they come from and who they are. Their ancestor’s lives, beliefs, stories, words, paintings, teachings and songs were stolen, in exchange for a new colonized way of life in order to survive. 

But I am intrigued with how the beautiful, powerful and persistent culture, language and stories from our ancestors can never be completely silenced or forgotten. When I meet Maya people here – I see a reflection of myself. I see a strong sense of culture and family as well as the fight to preserve that for future generations to come. It is a reality for all indigenous people across the Americas, too.

Funding Inquiries

cassiegoodluck@gmail.com

Contact Director

cassiegoodluck@gmail.com