the soul of guatemala

‘ … perhaps the soul of a nation is what lies within. Beneath the surface yet always there. Evident in its people, if you care to gaze in the right fashion. Perhaps the soul of a nation is what it is capable of being.’

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*the words below this image were originally posted on monday9am.tv last year. They might explain the beginnings of this project I now find myself drawn into.

‘I am not entirely sure what is happening right now.

I know that I am sitting in Guatemala having been flown in to capture the essence of a presidential candidate, a man whose bravery & integrity are well placed to change not only the face of politics in his country but also the experience of life. Perhaps the effects will be felt far far wider. Perhaps Guatemala will once again be a pivotal piece in world history.

But that isn’t ‘it’.

I know I walked into the political party HQ on Monday morning, at 9 on the dot actually, and I witnessed a change of heart and willingness to tell the truth rather than repeat the words expected to capture the electorate.

That isn’t ‘it’.

I know that it is highly likely that I will be back in Guatemala soon on a project to capture the soul of the entire country in a short film.

That isn’t ‘it’ either.

I have appeared on television talking about & showing monday9am films, am to be featured in the Sunday newspapers and am to screen films in an ancient ruin.

These are just some of the details, they are not what is really happening. Of that I’m sure.

I know that short of deciding where to spend my first night here, nothing has been planned but everything has happened. It is as if I have no say, almost as if I am not even here.

Perhaps that is closer, but I’m not sure if that is ‘it’ either.

I am sure that life just became clearer yet more mysterious. And I am sure that I can live with such an absurd paradox without the need for explanation.

The ability to describe what is going on will most probably remain elusive to me but nonetheless, it is happening.’