Ixcanul

(50th KVIFF) I think this is my first film from Guatemala. Films like this are another reason why I like the Karlovy Vary Film Festival. Although it’s a not entirely original story about a young girl, María, who gets pregnant with a guy who’s not the one she’s about to marry, which somewhat complicates her life. For us here, the exotic setting and the nice and authentic Mayan cast are also a plus. I loved that the film avoided several plot twists that could be expected from similar films from developing countries with traditional families (María’s parents don’t exacerbate the situation as much as I thought they would), and I also loved that one final socially critical twist that I was actually not expecting. A weak four stars, mainly because of the ending. 70 % (07/11/2015)

The cycle of nature and the cycle of life crammed into the minimalist language of long shots and rural symbolism. And a social critique of contemporary Guatemala embedded in the last frenetic third, which proves that Bustamante is a masterful debutant, able to combine tasteful emotions and several simple levels of meaning. #kviff2015 (07/10/2015)

The coming-of-age of a Guatemalan Indian Mayan oppressed by traditional patriarchy with a piggish parable. It must have been like 75000/10 on Vice. More or less. An anthropological three stars. (05/19/2020)

The movie Ixcanul has a rather ordinary plot. The girl sleeps with someone she shouldn't according to her parents, because they found her a husband elsewhere. The result of the unprotected sex is pregnancy. What makes the film interesting is the fact that it takes place in Guatemala, and we're observing foreign cultures that may seem strange to us. (09/09/2016)