Jayro Bustamante, the Guatemalan director behind the Golden Globe–nominated La Llorona (2019), has returned with a new project. His latest film, Eruption (Erupción), A documentary-art film, blends art and dance to tell the story of Guatemala’s troubled past. Through this work, Bustamante hopes to give voice to the pain and resilience of his people, using cinema as a way to confront history and spark dialogue.
Born in Guatemala, Jayro Bustamante has built a reputation as both director and screenwriter. His film Ixcanul (2015) represented Guatemala in the race for Best Foreign Language Film at the 88th Oscars. It became the first motion picture to use Kaqchikel, a language spoken by the Mayan community.
Bustamante’s debut feature Ixcanul (Volcano, 2015) earned global recognition when it won the Silver Bear Alfred Bauer Prize at the 65th Berlin International Film Festival. The story follows a 17‑year‑old girl whose parents set up her marriage near an active volcano in Guatemala. She imagines a new life abroad, yet what awaits her is a painful awakening. Through its powerful narrative and striking visuals, Ixcanul opened an international conversation about identity, tradition, and social injustice.
Bustamante said, “I’ve been trying to make this film for 10 years because there is no book that tells the real history of Guatemala. Books out there recount moments, but they leave out the whole part about the genocide and about Spanish subjugation. They just focus on how important the wars are and the wars that have been won.”
“The film is built as a collective story, woven from the voices of women, students, artists, and indigenous peoples. There is no single protagonist but a conversation across generations and memories. Each voice speaks from its territory and experience, together forming a collective portrait of who we are when we refuse to disappear,” he added.
“All this sounds a bit like a history of a submissive people. But in reality, what history tells is of a resilient people,” he pointed out.
“Mountains of Fire” will open in Guatemala on May 16, just a week after the Premios Platino on May 9, where the film is competing for the award in sound. The timing gives the release an added sense of anticipation, as audiences will see it arrive fresh from the spotlight of an international nomination.
Jayro Bustamante is collaborating with Pituka Ortega-Heilbron, filmmaker and president of the IFF Panama Foundation, on the World War II drama Downwind, which he is set to direct. The project comes as the 14th edition of IFF Panama prepares to unfold from April 9 to 12, adding extra buzz around his upcoming work.
