2017 | USA | NR | 105 min.
How could genocide occur in a country without its citizens ever knowing? In this sweeping documentary, filmmaker Pamela Yates gives a powerful new voice to the previously silenced Mayan people of Guatemala, who suffered the slaughter of entire villages in the 1980s under former president Rios Montt. The murders committed by Montt and his army, backed by the Reagan administration, went mostly unnoticed by the Mayans’ fellow countrymen, many of whom still do not believe a genocide ever occurred. Yates juxtaposes moving interviews with Mayan survivors and footage of Montt’s 2013 trial, which culminated in a fierce citizen uprising that flooded the streets of Guatemala with protestors demanding long-overdue justice. “500 Years” is an important and inspiring film that bears witness to the stories and strength of Guatemala’s indigenous people.
PRE-SHOW MUSIC BY
Josh Birdsong (Wed)
SPONSORED BY
Linda & Michael LaBeau (Wed)
Feminine Fans of Film - Laurel, Mary Sue, Patricia & Robbie (Thu)