top of page

AJAW Q'IJ

in collaboration with IQ BALAM - Juan José Chiriz Cuat

Documentary, Guatemala, 2021, 14'30"

Ajaw Qij_ChiaraLQ.jpg

The Council of Nicaea (325 AD) declared that the Christian Easter would be celebrated on the Sunday following the first full moon of spring. Spring begins between the 20th and the 21st of March, coinciding with the astronomical Equinox.


Thus, in Guatemala, two festivities of two different cultures and spiritualties are celebrated at the same time.


In the ritual centres of ancient Mayan cities, indigenous people celebrate the Equinox annually on the 21st of March to herald the rising of the sun and the beginning of a new period of fertility.
A few days later, Christian Holy Week takes place, celebrated mainly in urban centres and especially in the city of Antigua, the former colonial capital. During Holy Week, Christians commemorate the last days of Jesus.

The ideological foundation of the colonial empire is Christianity.

AWARDS AND SCREENINGS:

- First Prize Best Short Documentary Director, Nartugan Film Festival, Istanbul 2022

- First Prize Best Photography, Campinas Film Festival, Campinas 2022

- Official Selection Best Short Film, Ooty Short Film Festival, Ooty 2022

Official Selection Best Documentary, ETNOVIDEOGRÁFICA - International Ethnovideography Festival,            Ethnographic Museum of Castilla y León, Zamora 2022

- Official Selection Category Human Stories, Tulum World Environment Film Festival, Tulum 2022

- ‘Klima Tag’, Screening during Klimatag, TU Berlin & Universität der Künste (UdK), UNI.T Theater, Berlin 2022

- Official Selection Best Experimental Documentary, Smolshorts Film Festival, Saint Petersburg 2022

- ‘The Privilege of Dreaming’, Screening as part of the group show POSITIONED REALITIES, Haus der Statistik, Berlin 2022

- ‘Summoning’, Screening curated by Okta Collective as a part of Vorspiel transmediale Festival, Berlin 2022

- First Prize Raíz Best International Short Documentary, Biophilia Film Festival, Mexico City 2021 

Official Selection Best Short Documentary, Religion Today Film Festival, Trento 2021

- Second Prize Religious Movie Competition, Viva Film Festival, Sarajevo 2021

- ‘ANIMISM ON FILM’, Screening during Origins Festival chaired by Prof. Graham Harvey, London 2021

bottom of page