GODS AND KINGS

In the muddy market square of Momostenango, Guatemala, where shamans burn offerings in the shadow of the Catholic church, prehispanic gods dance beside horror movie monsters and the dictators from the dark days of the Cold War. Unlike the folkloric performances long studied by anthropologists, the new Disfraz dance won’t show up on any postcard. In some villages, it’s even been banned for the way it frightens tourists. So how did these fiberglass masks of Xena: Warrior Princess come to be blessed in the smoke of Maya altars?

Presenting a striking case never before documented on film, Gods and Kings illuminates the way creations of mass culture take on new meanings as they travel around the world. In a town where a B-movie monster is a real evil spirit, stories can't be taken lightly—and it always matters who’s telling them.

ACCOLADES

• Opening Night Film, ETHNOCINECA (Austria, 2014)

• First Place, Intangible Culture Film Prize, RAI Festival of Ethnographic Film (Edinburgh, UK, 2013)

• Official Selection: International Intangible Heritage Film Festival (Korea 2014), University of British Columbia Ethnographic Film Festival (Canada, 2014), Cine Las Americas (USA, 2014), 11th World Film Festival (Estonia, 2014), FIFEQ: Ethnographic Film Festival of Quebec (Canada, 2014), Miradasdoc (Spain, 2012) Morelia International Film Festival (Mexico, 2012)