Documentary: Tapestries of Light, Life and Community in Guatemala

About the film

Across Mesoamerica, extractive industries have a history of abusing power, violating human rights, and decimating natural habitats and indigenous land. For too long a culture of violence, corruption, and repression largely directed at women, indigenous people and marginalized groups has been allowed to prosper by corrupt governments.

In January 2024, a window of opportunity and hope for significant change opened in Guatemala. In August 2023 Guatemalans elected anti-corruption candidate Bernardo Arévalo as their president. Despite months of attempts by the incumbents to invalidate the election and prevent the president-elect from taking office, and thanks to continued resistance by people’s movements led in particular by indigenous and women’s groups including Nobel Peace Prize laureate Rigoberta Menchú Tum, he was sworn in on 15 January 2024.

Nobel Peace Prize laureates visited Guatemala in June 2024, only a few months after the new government took office. Through the delegation they engaged with the new leadership of the country, brought voices of local women’s organizations to the table of the new political leaders, addressed key priorities of historically marginalized people, and offered support and advice for achieving sustainable change.

In this 20-minute film, Tapestries of Light, Life and Community in Guatemala, award winning feminist filmmaker, Paula Recinos, weaves together Guatemalan feminist activism, art and inspiration through the voices of six brave women. This film shines a light on a few of the activists we met - Milvia, Magda, Virginia, Jimena, Francis and Maya- whose courage, wisdom and the power of their community ensures indigenous weavers, artists, prosecutors, and grandmother midwives' knowledge and creativity continues to source hope at a time of political change and opportunity in Guatemala. Be ready to be inspired.

The film was commissioned by Nobel Women’s Initiative, in collaboration with JASS Just Associates, and supported by Global Affairs Canada.

Resources

Tapestries of Light, Life and Community in Guatemala shares stories of six activists and three community organizations fighting for natural habitats, cultural heritage, and equal rights within a system of entrenched inequality and decades of corruption. Support their efforts by sharing the film with your network, or hosting a screening!

Find resources which you can use to host a screening here. 

For any enquiries about the film, including screenings, contact [email protected] 

SCREENINGS

• March 09 and 28, 2025. Screening was done at National Movement of Weavers.
• April 10,2025.The documentary was featured by the media outlet Community Press (Prensa Comunitaria).
• The film will be screened at La Revuelta Arte Screening & roundtable in Guatemala at 6:30 PM.
• May 07,2025. 5th Audiovisual Gathering: Weaving Biocultural Networks (V Encuentro Audiovisual: Tejiendo Redes Bioculturales) at 10:30 AM.
• May 14, 2025. The film was screened at Spanish Cultural Center in Guatemala at 7:00 PM.
• May 16, 2025. The film was screened at the Training Center of Spanish Cooperation in La Antigua, Guatemala (Centro de Formación de la Cooperación Española en La Antigua, Guatemala) at 7:00 PM.
• May 19, 2025. The film will be screened at Commemorative Event for the National Day of Guatemalan Midwives (Evento de Conmemoración del Día Nacional de la Comadrona Guatemalteca)
  
• May 23, 2025. Film will be screened at Intercultural Park of Quetzaltenango, Guatemala (Parque Intercultural de Quetzaltenango, Guatemala) at 7:00 PM.
• May 25, 2025. The film will be screened at Quartair Contemporary Art Initiatives, The Hague, The Netherlands.
• June 05, 2025. The film will be screened at the 8th International Book Fair in Xela (8ª Feria Internacional del Libro en Xela) at 6:00 PM. 
• June 12, 2025. “Women Weavers” Event at the Spanish Cultural Center in Costa Rica at 6:00 PM.
• August 2025. Women’s Justice Initiative (Iniciativa de los Derechos de la Mujer). (This will be an internal screening with members of the organization)
• September 4-7, 2025. The film will be screened at Bucharest Feminist Film Festival - Bucharest, Romania.
• October 22-24, 2025. The film will be screened at 3rd Textiles of the Americas Gathering.
• Exhibition: "Coloured Connection, from Maya Textile to Multimedia Art"
• Ixchel Museum of Indigenous Gown.
• Ícaro International Film Festival in Guatemala. 
• Women’s Voices Now (womensvoicesnow.org)
• Latin American Bureau - London, United Kingdom - The film has been included in their programme of short films about women's resistance.

FILM FESTIVALS

• Taraba Human Rights Film Festival (TAHRIFF) 2025 Edition.

Spanish Version

Tejidos de luz, vida y comunidad en Guatemala 

En junio de 2024, la Iniciativa de Mujeres Premio Nobel, en colaboración con Asociadas por lo Justo (JASS) y la Fundación Rigoberta Menchú Tum, llevaron a cabo una delegación a Guatemala encabezada por las laureadas Premio Nobel de la Paz Rigoberta Menchú Tum y Jody Williams. 

Tejidos de luz, vida y comunidad en Guatemala captura algunas de las inspiradoras historias de lucha, resiliencia y transformación que fueron compartidas durante esta delegación.

En toda Mesoamérica, las industrias extractivas tienen una historia de abuso de poder, violación de los derechos humanos y diezmación de hábitats naturales y territorios indígenas. Durante años, los gobiernos corruptos han permitido que prospere una cultura de violencia, corrupción y represión dirigida principalmente contra las mujeres, los pueblos indígenas y los grupos marginados.

En enero de 2024, se abrió una ventana de oportunidad y esperanza para un cambio significativo en Guatemala. En agosto de 2023, los guatemaltecos eligieron al candidato anticorrupción Bernardo Arévalo como su presidente. A pesar de meses de intentos de representantes del antiguo gobierno para invalidar las elecciones e impedir que el presidente electo asumiera el cargo, y gracias a la resistencia constante de los movimientos populares encabezados en particular por grupos indígenas y de mujeres, incluída la Premio Nobel de la Paz Rigoberta Menchú Tum, Arévalo asumió la presidencia el 15 de enero de 2024.

Las lauredas premios Nobel de la Paz visitaron Guatemala en junio de 2024, solo unos meses después de que el nuevo gobierno asumiera el cargo. A través de la delegación, interactuaron con los nuevos líderes del país, llevaron las voces de distintas organizaciones de mujeres locales a la mesa de los nuevos líderes políticos, abordaron las prioridades clave de las personas históricamente marginadas y ofrecieron apoyo y asesoramiento para lograr un cambio sostenible.

En este cortometraje documental de 20 minutos, la premiada cineasta feminista Paula Recinos entrelaza el activismo feminista, el arte y la inspiración guatemaltecas a través de las voces de seis valientes mujeres. En junio de 2024, las laureadas Premio Nobel de la Paz Jody Williams y Rigoberta Menchú Tum se reunieron con cientos de líderes indígenas, defensoras de la tierra y el territorio y activistas feministas en Guatemala. Compartieron sus historias, sus luchas y su esperanza de una "vida en plenitud". Este cortometraje documental arroja luz sobre algunas de las activistas que conocimos: Milvia, Magda, Virginia, Jimena, Francis y Maya, cuyo coraje, sabiduría y el poder de su comunidad garantizan que el conocimiento y la creatividad de las tejedoras, artistas, defensoras públicas y abuelas parteras indígenas sigan siendo fuente de esperanza en un momento de cambio político y oportunidades en Guatemala.

Este cortometraje documental fue comisionado por la Iniciativa de Mujeres Premio Nobel, en colaboración con JASS Asociadas por lo justo, y con el apoyo de Global Affairs Canada.

Para cualquier consulta sobre la película, incluidas las proyecciones, ponte en contacto con [email protected]