Communities surrounding Tulum will be able to listen to cinema in Maya, the language still spoken by many in the region.

TULUM – Chanchén, Hondzonot, San Juan de Dios and Francisco Uh May will be part of the Tulum International Film Festival (FICTU) which will be held from August 4 to 8, making use of a traveling screen that will allow simultaneous dubbing.

tulum film festival — Photo Courtesy of FICTU

Chloe Roddick, FICTU programming director, indicated that among the films chosen for these communities are the documentary “La Vocera”, the fictional piece “Santo vs El Cerebro del Mal”, and the short film “One Week”.

“There were long discussions about what kind of films to show in order to connect with the public. Instead of arriving with fixed programming and timetables, we will offer the complete list of films and shorts and the public will select the one they want to be screened.

“It is going to be an experiment. We are going to see how it goes. The films will not be subtitled in Mayan, because it (Maya) is not read, but it is oral. The process will be a separate type of dubbing for the public who can listen to it either this way or in Spanish, ” she explained.

The 2021 edition of the Tulum International Film Festival will be made up of 21 feature films and 3 short films, screened at various outdoor venues around Tulum.

“Wild Indiai”, by Lyle Michel, will be the opening film. “Sola”, by Janicza Bravo, will close out the festival.

The program is divided into four sections: Sidereal, Hemisphere, Pulsar and Horizonte México, where there will be films such as “From the Wild Sea”, “200 Meters”, “Stop Zemilia” and “Las Flores de la Noche”.

There will also be a special screening of “Tragic Forest”, a fictional film directed by Yulene Olaizola and a selection of shorts made in Quintana Roo.

“(The pandemic) It is an issue that is worrying us at the moment, because it is Tulum and a festival like this will bring together a significant number of people. Obviously, we are taking care of the number of people who will enter theaters and maintain strict use of face masks which is essential.” explained Paula Chaurand, director of the festival “There will be quick tests for the guests to do before joining the festival and, if they wish, before returning home.”
Source: El Universal