Jayro Bustamante

Clashing tradition with modernity is Ixcanul, a Guatemalan film that scooped up a variety of awards from its festival run but has struggled to find distribution in major markets. I suppose films from first-time feature directors that aren’t about people with paved roads and indoor plumbing seem like a hard sell, but I think that good stories can find audiences, and Ixcanul looks like a good one. Set in the shadows of a volcano and about something as basic as a girl’s transition into womanhood, the film takes a long look at 17-year-old Maria’s impending arranged marriage and her fling with a young local.