Radical Film Night: When The Mountains Tremble

description: Mes De Independencia?/ Independence Month? Series:
Discussion to follow film with members of Guatemala Solidarity Committee

Shot at the height of a heated battle between the heavily-armed Guatemalan Military and a nearly defenseless Mayan population, filmmakers Pamela Yates and Newton Thomas Sigel threw themselves into the center of a storm to capture live combat footage with a surprisingly robust passion and exhilarating flair. As the first film to depict this previously unreported war, it is firmly anchored by the firsthand accounts of Rigoberta Menchu Quiche ndian woman known around the world for her humanitarian efforts. Throughout the imminent chaos and danger, Menchu provides courage and optimism in a time where death squads kill without conscience and an oppressive dictator seizes power.