IXCANUL

This movie shifts from a sort of portrayal of the unseen culture and day to day life of the
indigenous people to an exploration of the ways in which indigenous people who take
advantage of those in their community once they have become more “urbanized.” For
example, with Pepe, he takes advantage of Maria by telling her he would take her to the
United States with him but only if she let him have his way with her. Maria contemplates and
decides to sleep with the drunk Pepe. He doesn’t wear any protection and lies to her saying
that it “doesn’t get her pregnant the first time”. The next day he leaves abandoning his fellow
workers and Maria who is now pregnant. Another example of this is with Ignacio who takes
advantage of the family’s lack of knowledge of Spanish at the hospital and has the doctors
take Maria’s baby from her while also convincing her that the baby had died. The exploitation
of their trust and innocence is evident throughout the rest of the film. It was saddening to
see it and know that this is something happening in the world somewhere today where
groups of indigenous people are left vulnerable and exploited.

- Posted on behalf of Jasmin Martinez