TIFF Review: Guatemala’s First Ever Academy Awards Entry 'Ixcanul'

Jayro Bustamante's debut feature "Ixcanul" generates its power from an intimate observance of the quotidian. As such, its titular volcano — the translation of Ixcanul in the Mayan K'iche' dialect spoken in Guatemala — is the least volcanic thing in it. Steeped in a culture rarely observed on screen, Bustamante's film has the airs of a documentary. Its ensemble cast of local actors have zero trace of affectation in their performances. The director's original screenplay is beholden to none of the format's rules that so often shackle stories with predictability. It's as much of a striking initiation for cinematographer Luis Armando Arteaga as it is for Bustamante, for the film feels so confident with its movement, lighting, and composition. Its cast and crew may be young in terms of film experience, but "Ixcanul" is very much an old soul.

On the Guatemalan highlands overseen by the active Pacaya volcano rests a coffee planation, where 17-year-old Maria (Maria...