Daughters of Ixchel: Maya Thread of Change

Produced by John McKay,Kathryn Lipke Vigesaa. 29 min. Color. 1993. Available as: VHS and DVD Captioned: No Catalog #: 0070 Order this title Sale Price: $195.00 Apply for Discount

Guatemalan Maya women are highly skilled weavers. Their textiles, created using the backstrap loom, are known worldwide for their excellent workmanship and design. Their weaving skills have been passed down from mother to daughter since ancient times. Not only are the designs and colors of the Maya textiles attractive and unique, they also carry the history and traditions of their communities.

This illuminating documentary explores the lives of Maya women today, portrays their ancient weaving processes, and examines the economic, political, and cultural forces that are profoundly affecting the women and their weaving.

"Daughters of Ixchel" will generate discussion in a wide variety of courses in cultural anthropology, Latin American studies, women's studies, and the arts and humanities. It was produced by Kathryn Lipke Vigesaa and John McKay.

Reviews

"Deals seriously with tradition and the way tradition is changing in order to survive. I highly recommend the video for introductory cultural and social anthropology, as well as for courses in development and anthropology, art and anthropology, tourism, and Latin American studies." -- John Leavitt, Prof. of Anthropology, University of Montreal

Awards

• Society for Visual Anthropology Award
• American Anthropological Assn. honoree
• International Film & TV Festival of NY Award
• Canadian International Film Festival honoree