Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
TV personality Harris Whitbeck
As for movies about Guatemala,
El Norte
(1983, directed by Gregory Nava) is a classic
taleofGuatemalanimmigrantsfleeingthecivilwarduringthe1980s.Morerecently,inthe
summer of 2006, Antigua was the scene of on-location shooting for
Looking for Palladin,
a film about a young Hollywood go-getter who finds himself in Guatemala. Many folks in
Antigua are hoping the film will open doors for more movies to be filmed in Guatemala.
Guatemala is world famous for the artistic quality and variety of its crafts, with weaving at
the top of the list. Each village has its unique style and you can recognize villagers from
a particular location based solely on their traditional attire. Among the most fascinating
handwoven pieces are
huipiles,
embroidered blouses worn by highland Mayan women that
feature colorful motifs that often include plants, animals, and lightning bolts in a dizzying
array of colors. While you are certainly welcome to buy village attire, it's never a good
