originally posted on monday9am.tv on 3rd October 2007.

We had left the city but Sunday ended as a day of dead ends. Literally. Having been lost, it seems we were still looking too hard. I’m not sure how many times in my life I have encountered so many dead-end roads. It ended with our route on a mountain pass blocked by a landslide. Thoughts had also hit a dead-end. How is the soul of a country found?

On Monday morning something shifted, sadly not at 9am. Although, it will have been 9am somewhere in the world.

I am not sure exactly what happened. A slowing of pace or a slipping into day-dream. Perhaps even Atitlan, a sacred Lake surrounded by the watchful eye of three volcanoes.

Now the world seems clearer. We, Edwin and I, are regaining our ability to see. Nothing around has changed physically but everything looks different. I think that is much of how life has the capacity to ‘work’ for us.

And now we find ourselves in San Pedro accompanied by my camera, a translator and an enthusiasm to capture ‘it’. ‘It’ is tangible, the quiet electricity of human spirit. I hope it transfers to film. It usually does.

But this time, we are capturing our subjects in a Mayan dialect. That is odd, I don’t even speak Spanish. So the questions ripple up and down a chain of friends. Myself in English to Edwin, who passes on in Spanish to Rolando, who in turn passes on to the subject. And back again. Somehow it works.

It has just dawned on me quite how monumental the task will be to spot the intricacies of two languages I don’t speak. To capture the soul of this quite unique nation, and make the film.

Our three subjects talk of life and the human spirit. It is in a similar fashion if you pay attention carefully. Perhaps that is the universal language. The way in which words are spoken. This is a language I do understand.

And then there is Feliciano Pop. A sculptor who used to be a mayor. He makes us all laugh. When I get a chance I must tell you more. (SEE HIS FILM).

I believe the soul of the country is starting to shine through. How could it not?

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* the midwife became a short film soon after. It will be up in ALL FILMS soon.