Heart of Sky, Heart of Earth (2011)

Herz des Himmels, Herz der Erde

Directed by Frauke Sandig, Eric Black

2011 ♦ 98 minutes ♦ Germany
Spanish & Tzotzil, Tzeltal, and Mam Maya with English subtitles

HEART OF SKY, HEART OF EARTH follows six young Maya in Guatemala and Chiapas through their daily and ceremonial life, revealing their determination to resist the destruction of their culture and environment. As corporations go to the ends of the earth to extract all value, all resources, they put forth a wholly indigenous perspective in their own words, without narration. Each story touches upon a facet of the current global crisis.

Beautifully filmed over years, the intimate accounts of the protagonists interweave with images associated with the fragile beauty of nature and the creation myth of the Popol Vuh. Ruins of a former Mayan civilization stand in the background as harbingers of our own possible fate. The Maya, like many indigenous people, believe they are the guardians of the Earth. Their cosmovision, in which all life is sacred and interconnected, presents a deeply compelling alternative to the prevailing worldview.

PART OF THE OHIO INDIGENOUS DOCUMENTARY FILM FESTIVAL

General Admission: $12
Students/Seniors: $10